"Dat's so," said old Lewston. "It'll touch de bottom ob de water, but I
don't know 'bout de bottom ob de mud. Ye musn't push her down too deep.
Dar's 'bout as much mud as water out dar in de creek."

The more they talked about the matter, the greater became Harvey's
disinclination to go over. He was not a coward, but he was not used to
the water or the management of a boat, and the trip seemed much more
difficult to him than it would have appeared to a boy accustomed to
boating.

"I tell you what we'll do," cried Harry, at last. "You take my station,
Harvey, and I'll go over and work your end of the line."

There was no opposition to this plan, and so Harry hurried off with
Harvey to Lewston's cabin and helped him to make the connections and get
the line in working order at that end, and then he ran down to the boat,
jumped in, and Lewston pushed him off.

Harry poled the boat along quite easily through the shallow water, and
when he got farther out he found that he proceeded with still greater
ease, only he did not go straight across, but went a little too much
down stream.

But he pushed out strongly toward the opposite shore, and soon reached
the middle of the creek. Then he began to go down stream very fast
indeed. Push and pole as he would, he seemed to have no control whatever
over the boat. He had had no idea that the current would be so strong.

On he went, right down toward the bridge, and as the boat swept over it,
one end struck an upright beam that projected above the water, and the