the Captain did it, I cannot say, unless it was for the reason
that sailors often seem to enjoy doing things in an odd and
awkward fashion, so as to puzzle landsmen. Neither of them made
very good progress by it, and Clarence wabbled the boat, and
caught crabs every other stroke.

At last he got alongside the wharf, and we put some of our things
in the boat, and rowed out to the "Hoppergrass." It took two trips
to carry everything, for we had bags of clothes, as well as rubber
boots and oil-skins. Ed Mason and Clarence, between them, managed
to let the water-melon slip out of the straps, so it fell into the
river and went bobbing down stream with the tide. The Captain and
I, who were still in the tender, went after it.

Did you ever try to fish a big water-melon out of a river? It is
about the roundest thing, and the slipperyest thing, and the
hardest thing to get hold of, that you could imagine. It rolls
over and over, and when you get it out--plop! it tumbles back
into the water and sinks out of sight. Then it comes up again--
bobbing--at some other place. Clarence and Ed were in an argument
as to which of them had dropped the melon, while Jimmy stood up in
the bow and shouted directions to me.

"Gaff it! gaff it! Why don't you gaff it?"

"How can I gaff it? What can I gaff it with,--you!"

"Never mind him," said the Captain. "Now, look,--I'll lay the boat
right across its bows. ... Now, wait. ... Now! Can't you get it
now?"