generous beam, because their owners went in for pleasure and comfort,
rather than racing. Still, one of the boats, the _Speedwell_, was said to
be capable of doing a mile in seven minutes, if pushed, on flat water;
while the other, called the _Comfort_, being broader, could not do
anything like that.

It was easy to pass from one boat to the other, as they lay there. Each
had a canopy top, and curtains that could be dropped, and buttoned,
during a wet spell, or if the owner chose to sleep aboard; but on this
occasion Paul had believed it best that these latter should remain up, so
as to allow of free observation all around.

A stout hawser secured the boat nearest the shore to a big stake that
had been driven deeply into the earth. Thus the boats lay close beside
a short dock that was called a landing stage. As the current of the
Bushkill was always pretty strong there must be more or less of a
strain on that hawser; but since it was comparatively new, the boys
felt that there could not be the slightest danger of its breaking,
unless some outside influence were brought to bear on it, such as a
keen-edged knife blade.

In that case, as it was very taut, it would naturally part readily; and
with consequences disastrous to the safety of the two boats, which must
be carried off down-stream in the darkness, possibly to be driven ashore
on some rocks below.

And so Bobolink, having been duly warned with regard to possible trouble
in connection with that same hawser, had mentally called the rope his
"dead line;" and he watched the shore above that point three times as
much as any other place.