Which he soon did. The moment he saw her, he dropped his tools and came forward, saying:
“How do you do? I’m making the punt water-tight. Tell me if you think it is right.”
She went along with him.
“You are your father’s daughter, so you can tell me if it will do,” he said.
She bent to look at the patched punt.
“I am sure I am my father’s daughter,” she said, fearful of having to judge. “But I don’t know anything about carpentry. It looks right, don’t you think?”
“Yes, I think. I hope it won’t let me to the bottom, that’s all. Though even so, it isn’t a great matter, I should come up again. Help me to get it into the water, will you?”
With combined efforts they turned over the heavy punt and set it afloat.
“Now,” he said, “I’ll try it and you can watch what happens. Then if it carries, I’ll take you over to the island.”
“Do,” she cried, watching anxiously.