Dan made his way through the bushes, and soon found the oars. Then uniting their strength they pushed the boat through the high rushes that screened it from the river.
"It is afloat," Vincent said. "Now, Dan, take your place in the bow."
"I will row, Mr. Wingfield. I am a very good hand at it. So please take your seat with Chloe in the stern."
"Dan can take one oar, anyhow," Vincent replied; "but I will let you row instead of me. I am afraid I should make a poor hand of it with only one arm."
The boat pushed quietly out. The river was about a hundred yards wide at this point. They had taken but a few strokes when Vincent said:
"You must row hard, Miss Kingston, or we shall have to swim for it. The water is coming through the seams fast."
The girl and Dan exerted themselves to the utmost; but, short as was the passage, the boat was full almost to the gunwale before they reached the opposite bank, the heat of the sun having caused the planks to open during the months it had been lying ashore.
"This is a wet beginning," Lucy Kingston said laugh as she tried to wring the water out of the lower part of her dress. "Here, Chloe; you wring me and I will wring you."
"Now, Dan, get hold of that head-rope," Vincent said; "haul her up little by little as the water runs out over the stern."
"I should not trouble about the boat, Mr. Wingfield; it is not likely we shall ever want it again."