“I guess I don’t mean very much of anything. Fred, do you see how this boat is leaking?”
Startled by the abrupt question, Fred glanced quickly at the spot in the bottom of the boat which the little Japanese had repaired. The water certainly was coming into the boat.
“What do you think, Jack?” demanded Fred quickly. “Shall we try to go back?”
“Is that the direction in which we usually go?” retorted John.
“I would rather go back than go down.”
“But I would rather go ahead than either.”
“But the boat is certainly leaking. We have seen one storm on the lake and we don’t want to be caught in another, especially with a leaking old tub like this.”
“There isn’t any storm and we aren’t caught yet. Besides, I feel a little puff of wind,” John added, as he turned his face in the direction from which the wind appeared to be coming.
John had been rowing for a half-hour or longer, and perspiration was streaming down his face. Close to the water the air was cool, but as there was no breeze it was well-nigh impossible for any one working as hard as John had been to cool himself quickly.
“There’s a little puff,” he added, and once more the sail was hoisted and for a little while the skiff moved steadily forward.