Poor Jacob! if that willing Mrs. Poot had only appeared just then, her services would have been invaluable. It was as much as the boys could do to hoist him into the boat. All were in at last. The schipper, puffing away at his pipe, let out the sail, lifted the brake, and sat in the stern with folded arms.
"Whew! How fast we go!" cried Ben. "This is something like! Feel better, Jacob?"
"Much petter, I tanks you."
"Oh, you'll be as good as new in ten minutes. This makes a fellow feel like a bird."
Jacob nodded, and blinked his eyes.
"Don't go to sleep, Jacob; it's too cold. You might never wake up, you know. Persons often freeze to death in that way."
"I no sleep," said Jacob confidently—and in two minutes he was snoring.
"We must wake him!" cried Ben; "it is dangerous, I tell you,—Jacob! Ja-a-c——"
Captain Peter interfered, for three of the boys were helping Ben for the fun of the thing.