ing ashore. But a
schooner of the regular sort would be no use there."

"Why?" asked Brace.

"Because a schooner would be becalmed. Her big fore and aft sails would
have all the wind shut out from them by the trees. With a brig like
this all you have to do is to run up a couple of topgallant spars like
those you see tucked under the bulwarks there, long thin tapering
fellows like fishing-rods, and hoist a couple of square sails high up on
them, and you catch the wind, and on you go."

"Yes, I see," said Brace. "Then those long thin masts are ready for
such an emergency."

"That's right, squire," said the captain, smiling; "only I don't call
that an emergency, only a matter of plain sailing. It makes one ready
to go straight on, for I don't know anything more wherriting to a sailor
than having a nice breeze blowing overhead and not coming down low
enough to fill his sails. I've been like that before now in one of
these rivers, but I don't think I shall be again. Of course one must
expect a stoppage now and then in the dry times when the water falls and
leaves the river shallow. There's no fighting against that, and no
seamanship will teach a skipper how to find the deep channels in a river
where the banks and shoals are always shifting. But come and look at
the quarters below. You won't find any polished wood and gilding,
squire," he continued, turning to Brace, with a dry smile.

"Do you suppose I expected any?" said Brace shortly.

"Well, no, I suppose not. But there is some polish, because the lads
put that on with elbow-grease. No stuffing neither on the seats."

"Of course not," said Brace. "We did not try to find a fancy yacht."

"That's right," said the captain; "but anyhow, when a man's tired, a
wooden seat is a bit hard, so I've got some horsehair cushions to go on
the lids of the lockers. I like 'em myself. Now then, gentlemen, can
you make shift here?"

"Yes, and a very good shift too," said Sir Humphrey as he and his
brother stood looking round the fairly roomy cabin, whose fittings were
of Quakerish simplicity, but scrupulously clean.

"As clean as on board a man-o'-war," said Brace.

"To be sure," said the skipper drily. "Why not?--Then you think it will
do, gentlemen?"

"Excellently," said Sir Humphrey.

"That's right, gentlemen. There are your berths in there. That's mine,
and those two belong to my mates," he continued, pointing out the
different divisions in the stern o