and excited to mind much, and soon after the
boat was drawn up to the side of the staging, at the end of the dam, the
ponderous affair lifted from the cart, and the miller came out to form
one of the group of onlookers.

"Why, hey, Vane Lee, my lad, she's too big enew. She'll sink the boat."

"Oh, no," cried Vane. "It looks heavier than it is."

"Won't be much room for me," said the miller, with a chuckle.

"You mustn't come," cried Vane in alarm. "Only Macey and I are going in
the boat. We work the pedals and hand cranks. This is only an
experiment to see if it will go."

"Hey bood she'll goo reight enew," said the miller, seriously, "if I get
in. Reight to the bottom, and the mill 'll be to let."

There was a roar of laughter at this, and Macey whispered:--

"I say, Weathercock, if they're going to chaff like this I shall cut
off."

"No, no, don't be a coward," whispered back Vane; "it's only their fun.
It don't hurt."

"Oh, doesn't it. I feel as if gnats were stinging me."

"That theer boat 'll never carry her, my lad," said the miller.

"It will, I tell you," cried Vane, firmly.

"Aw reight. In wi' her then, and when she's at the bottom you can come
and fish for her. It's straange and deep down there."

"Now then, ready?" cried Vane after a due amount of preparation.

An affirmative answer was given; the frame-work with its cranks was
carefully lifted on to the platform and lowered into the boat's stern,
which it fitted exactly, and Vane stepped in, and by the help of a
screw-hammer fitted some iron braces round the boat, screwed them up
tightly. The machine was fairly fixed in its place and looked extremely
top-heavy, and with Vane in the stern as well, sent the boat's gunwale
down within four inches of the surface and the bows up correspondingly
high.

By this time the rector and the Little Manor people had arrived, while
quite a little crowd from the town had gathered to stand on the edge of
the dam and for the most part grin.

"There," said Vane as he stood up covered with perspiration from his
efforts. "That's about right. In a boat made on purpose the machine
would be fitted on the bottom and be quite out of the way."

"Couldn't be, lad," said the miller. "But goo on, I want to see her
move."

"Wish there was another boat here, Gil," said Distin. "You and I would
race them."

"Let them talk," said Vane, to encourage Macey, who looked very solemn,
and as he spoke he careful