dle he had to work.

"One moment," said Distin, rising in the boat to place his carefully
folded clothes behind him, and it was just as Vane gave the boat a final
thrust and sent it gliding.

"Give us a shout, you fellows," cried Gilmore. "Steady Dis!" he roared.

"Hooray!" came from the little crowd.

"Oh, what a lark!" shouted Macey, but Aunt Hannah uttered a shriek.

Vane's thrust had not the slightest thing to do with the mishap, for the
boat was already so crank that the leverage of Distin's tall body, as he
stood up, was quite enough to make it settle down on one side. As this
disturbed his balance, he made a desperate effort to recover himself,
placed a foot on the gunwale, and the next moment, in the midst of the
cheering, took a header right away into the deep water, while the boat
gradually continued its motion till it turned gently over, and floated
bottom upwards, leaving Gilmore slowly swimming to the side, where he
clung to the camp-shedding laughing, till it seemed as if he would lose
his hold.

"Help! help!" cried Aunt Hannah.

"All right, ma'am," said the miller, snatching the boat-hook from Vane.

"Mr Distin! Mr Distin," shrieked Aunt Hannah.

The miller literally danced with delight.

"Up again directly, ma'am," he said, "only a ducking, and the water's
beautifully clean. There he is," he continued, as Distin's head
suddenly popped up with his wet black hair streaked over his forehead,
and catching him deftly by the waistband of his trowsers with the
boat-hook, the miller brought the panting youth to the gangway, and
helped him out.

"You did that on purpose," cried Distin, furiously; but the miller only
laughed the more, and soon after the boat had been drawn to its
moorings, and righted, it was chained up, so that it should do no more
mischief, the miller said.

That brought the experiment to a conclusion, and when the machine had
been taken back dry to the workshop, as it had been proved that it was
only labour in a novel way and much increased, Vane broke it up, and the
doctor, when the bills were paid, said quietly:

"I think Vane will have a rest now for a bit."

CHAPTER THIRTY.

MONEY TROUBLES.

"Going out, Vane?"

"Only to the rectory, uncle; want me?"

"No, my boy, no," said the doctor, sadly. "Er--that is, I do want to
have a chat with you, but another time will do."

"Hadn't you better tell me now, uncle," said Vane. "I don't like to go
on waiting and thin