As soon as any of them lost the stroke,
or whenever any oars began to interfere, or any other difficulty or
accident occurred, he would immediately give the order, "_Oars_."
This would instantly arrest the rowing, before the difficulty became
serious. Then, after a moment's pause he would say, "_Give way_,"
again, when they would once more begin rowing all together. All this
time, he sat in the stern and steered the boat wherever they wanted to
go.
[Illustration: GOOD ROWING.]
Marco wished to have Forester teach the boys how to back water, and to
trail oars, and to put the oars apeak, and to perform various other
evolutions. But Forester was very slow in going on to new manoeuvers
before the old ones were made perfectly familiar. He accordingly spent
nearly an hour in rowing about the pond, up and down, to make the boys
familiar with the stroke. He found, as is, in fact, universally the
case with beginners in the art of rowing, that they were very prone to
row faster and faster, that is, to accelerate their strokes, instead
of rowing regularly, keeping continually the same time. They gradually
improved, however, in respect to this fault, and by the middle of the
afternoon Marco began to think that they were quite a good crew.
They practiced several new evolutions during the latter part of the
afternoon, and just before tea time they all went home, much pleased
with the afternoon's enjoyment, and with the new knowledge and skill
which they had acquired. They also planned another excursion the
following week.
Chapter X.
An Expedition.
Forester and Marco got their boat's crew well trained in the course of
a week or two, and one pleasant day in September they planned a long
expedition in their boat. The boys collected at the house of the owner
of the boat, at one o'clock. Two of them carried a large basket which
Forester had provided. It was quite heavy, and they did not know what
was in it; but they supposed that it was a store of some sort of
provisions for a supper, in case they should be gone so long as to
need a supper. Forester carried a hatchet also.
At the proper word of command, the boys got into the boat and took
their several stations. Marco took his place forward to act as bowman.
It is the duty of the bowman to keep a lookout forward, that the boat
does not run into any danger; and also, when the boat comes to land,
to step out first and hold it by the painter, that is, the rope which
is fastened to the bow, while the others get out. Marco had a pole,
with an iron spike and also an iron hook in the end of it, which he
used to _fend off_ with, as they called it, when the boat was in
danger of running against any obstacle. This was called a boat-hook.
"_Attention!_" said Forester, when the boys were all seated.
"_Toss!_"
Hereupon the boys raised the oars into the air, ready to let them down
into the water.
"_Let fall!_" said Forester. The oars all fell gently and
together into their places.
"_Give way!_" said Forester.
The boat began immediately to glide rapidly over the water, under the
impulse which the boys gave it in rowing. "_Crew at ease_," said
Forester.
So the boys went on rowing, but understood that they had liberty to
talk. One of them wished to know where Forester was going with them;
but Forester said it was entirely contrary to the discipline aboard
a man-of-war for the crew to ask the captain where they were going.
"Besides," said Forester, "though I could easily tell you, I think you
will enjoy the expedition more, to know nothing about it beforehand,
but to take every thing as it comes."
Forester steered in such a manner as to put the head of the boat
toward a bank at some distance from where they started, on which there
was a thick forest of firs and other evergreens, growing near the
water. When they got pretty near the land, he gave the order for
attention, that they might observe silence in going through whatever
manoeuvers were required here. The next order was, _Oars_. At
this the oarsmen stopped rowing, and held their oars horizontally over
the water. The boat in the mean time was gliding on toward the shore.
"_Aboard!_" said Forester.
The crew then gently raised their oars into the air, and passed them
over their heads into the boat, laying them upon the thwarts in their
proper position, along the middle of the boat. By this order the crew
supposed that Forester was going to land.
"Bear a hand, Mr. Bowman," said Forester, "and fend off from the
shore."
Forester, by means of his paddle, had steered the boat up to a log
which lay in the edge of the water, and Marco, at first fending off
from the log, to keep the boat from striking hard, and then holding on
to it with his hook, got it into a good position for landing, and held
it securely.
"_Crew ashore_," said Forester.
The crew, who had learned all these orders in the course of the
repeated instructions which Forester and Marco had given them, began
to rise and to walk toward the bow of the boat and to go ashore. Marco
landed first, and held the boat with his boat-hook, while the rest got
out. Forester then ordered Marco to make the boat fast, until they
were ready to embark again.
Forester then went up in the woods a little way, with his hatchet
in his hand, and began to look about among the trees. Finally, he
selected a small tree, with a round, straight stem, and began to cut
it down.
