“O! what a stupe I was,” said Bevis. “I’ve got on the same way again.”
In his hurry he had forgotten his object, and got astride facing the island as before.
“Well, I never,” said Mark. “Stop—don’t.”
Bevis slipped off his catamaran again, but this time not being encumbered with the bundle he was up on it again in half a minute, and faced the mainland.
“There,” said he. “Now you can come close. That’s it. Now give me your bundle.”
Mark did so. Afterwards Bevis took the cord of his own bundle, which being in the water was not at all heavy. “Now you can turn.”
Mark slipped off, but managed so that his chest was still on the plank. In that position he worked himself round and got astride the other way.
“Done very well,” said Bevis; “ever so much better than I did. Here.”
Mark slung his bundle, and they paddled back to the shallow water, Bevis towing his soaked dress. They stood up in the shallow and rested a few minutes, and Bevis fastened his bundle to his plank just in front of where he sat.
“Come on.” Off he went again, following the other channel this time. It wound round a bank grown with sedges, and then led straight into a broader and open channel, the same they had come down in the boat. They recognised it directly, and paddled faster.