"It's a great deal pleasanter here," said Winnie. "There comes the wind! — that was a puff! —"
"Well we're ready for it," said the skipper.
And stronger puffs came after, and soon a steady fair southerly breeze set up the river and sent the Julia Ann on before it. Straight up the river their course lay, without veering a point for miles. The sun was lowering towards the horizon and the heat was lessening momently, even without the south breeze which bade it be forgotten; and the blue waters of the river, so sluggish a little while ago, were briskly curling and rippling, and heading like themselves for Wut-a- qut-o.
Winnie sat still and silent in the shadow of the huge sail. Winthrop was standing close beside her, talking with the skipper; but he knew that his little sister had hold of his hand and had laid her unbonneted head against his arm; and when the skipper left him he stooped down to her.
"What do you think of it, Winnie?"
"O Winthrop! — how delicious! — Aren't you glad it is such beautiful world?"
"What are you thinking of in particular?"
"O everything. It isn't down here like Wut-a-qut-o, but everything is so delicious — the water and the shore and the sunshine and the wind! —"
"Poor Winnie," said her brother stroking her hair, — "you haven't seen it in a good while."
She looked up at him, a glance which touchingly told him that where he was she wanted nothing; and then turned her eyes again towards the river.