them skipping
for the midriver. Occasionally a fish jumped to show how easy it was,
and high overhead an eagle passed statelily in the wake of a cloud.
After the eagle came a V of geese flying south, moving through the
treacherous currents and whirlpools of the upper air as steadily and
directly as a train upon its track. It seemed as if nature had conspired
with her children to demonstrate to Margaret and Aladdin the facility of
precise locomotion. The narrow deeps of the river ended where the shore
rolled into a high knob of trees; above this it spread over the lower
land into a great, shallow, swiftly currented lake, having in its
midst a long turtlebacked island of dense woods and abrupt shores. Two
currents met off the knob and formed in the direction of the island a
long curve of spitting white. Aladdin rowed with great fervor.

"Do it if you can, 'Laddin," said the little girl.

It seemed for one moment as if success were about to crown the boy's
effort, for he brought the boat to an exciting nearness to the shore;
but that was all. The current said: "No, Aladdin, that is not just the
place to land; come with me, and bring the boat and the young lady." And
Aladdin at once went with the current.

"Margaret," he said, "I done my best." He crossed his heart.

"I know you done your best, 'Laddin." Margaret's cheeks were on the
brink of tears. "I know you done it."

They were dancing sportively farther and farther from the shore. The
water broke, now and again, and slapped the boat playfully.

"We 've come 'most three miles," said Aladdin.

"I daren't go back if I could now," said Margaret.

Meanwhile Aladdin scanned the horizon far and wide to see if he could
see anything of Antheus, tossed by the winds, or the Phrygian triremes,
or Capys, or the ships having upon their lofty poops the arms of Caicus.
There was no help in sight. Far and wide was the bubbling ruffled river,
behind the mainland, and ahead the leafy island.

"What'll your father do, 'Laddin?"

Aladdin merely grinned, less by way of explaining what his father would
do than of expressing to Margaret this: "Have courage; I am still with
you."

"'Laddin, we're not going so fast."

They had run into nominally still water, and the skiff was losing
momentum.

"Maybe we'd better land on the island," said Aladdin, "if we can, and
wait till the tide turns; won't be long now."

Again he plied the oars, and this time with success. For after a littl