"Again the boat began to turn.
"'Charlie, I cannot get my oar out of the water. I'm not as strong as a horse.'
"He looked at me and laughed. I could have laughed, only I was afraid of crying; it was so vexing to feel one was so stupid.
"'When I was a small boy and I first started to row I couldn't get my oar out of the water, except when I didn't want to, and then it came out too easily. See, May, I'll keep the boat straight, and you have one or two shots at paddling.'
"I had what he called 'one or two shots at paddling,' that is, I just dipped my oar into the water and pulled. I began to feel that I was getting the hang of the thing--Charlie's own words. I saw that it was going to be much harder than I had ever imagined, but I did not mind that, because, as I say, I did feel that I was getting on.
"'Now,' said Charlie, 'I'll paddle.'
"Directly he began to paddle the boat began to turn.
"'What makes the boat go round?'
"'It's because you don't pull strong enough. If two persons don't pull equally--that is, together, and with equal strength--the boat is bound to turn.'
"When he said that I made up my mind that I would pull stronger; the boat should not go round. So I shut my eyes and clenched my teeth and I pulled with all my might, and before I knew what had happened, I was in the water!