"About two hours up stream," he replied.
"Well," said I, "you cannot return there now. You must take me to the city first, and when you return with a bag full of kerans, all your friends will be pleased with you."
"How many kerans did you say, Beg?" asked the old man.
"How many do you want?" I asked.
"Twenty," said he, evidently asking twice as much as he expected to get.
"Then," said I, "you shall have twenty when we reach the city, and if we pass under the bridge ere the sun has risen to-morrow morning, you shall have thirty."
The fisherman's face was radiant with joy at the prospect of such a haul.
"When will you start?" he asked.
"Now, at once, as quickly as possible," I replied.
"It is good," said he, plunging in his paddle with a will, and making the circular tub swing from side to side.