Dexter went to his help, and by dint of thrusting together the boat was pushed off the shallows, and gliding once more into deep water began to float gently on.
There was a few minutes’ silence, during which Bob took the sculls and began to pull, looking, with his eyes red and swollen up, anything but a pleasant companion; and in spite of himself Dexter began to think that Bob as a conversational friend across the water was a very different being to Bob as the captain of their little vessel, armed with authority, and ready to tyrannise over his comrade to the fullest extent.
Suddenly a thought occurred to Dexter as he ran his eye over the handsome cushions of the well-varnished boat.
“Bob!” he said.
There was no answer.
“Bob, did you take that parcel and drop it in Sir James’s letter-box!”
“What parcel!” said Bob sourly.
“That one I threw over to you last night.”
“Oh! that one as fell in the water?”
“Yes: did you take it?”