"Anyway, that was a good beginning, Jimmy," remarked Jack, in a
satisfied tone.

"It sure was, for that bog-trotter," chuckled the other. "His ould
boat wasn't worth more'n five dollars, as the tug captain sez, an' here
he sells it for three toimes the sum. His clothes'll be dry on his
back before an hour, in this warm sun; an' he has a noice tin dollars
to buy new garments wid. It's the luckiest day av his life, so it is."

"Well, I rather think that adventure did net him a cool twenty,"
laughed Jack. "Not so bad for a dip in the river."

"He naded a bath, too, so he did," declared Jimmy. "An, mark my word,
he'd be willing to kape it up all the blissed day at the same price, so
he would. Now we're safe out from the rocks along the shore, why not
hit her up, an' overhaul the rist av the bunch, Jack?"

"Right you are, and here goes," sang out the other. "Take the wheel,
Jimmy, and look out for anything in the way. I want to watch how the
engine works. You know, George wasn't the only one who overhauled his
motor after our fun this last summer."

"She is makin' better toime than she iver did in her whole blissed
life!" cried the delighted Jimmy, presently, after Jack had been
working at the engine a spell. "Be the powers! I do belave we kin
give George a race for his money nixt toime he challenges us, so I do.
Hurroo! we're flyin' over the wather, Jack!"

"Less talk, and keep your eyes in front of you!" called the other. "If
you get as careless as that tugboat man, we'll be smashing into
something, too. And then good-bye to all our hopes for a jolly voyage
down the coast."

"Aw! 'tis me that is boring the wather with me eyes all the toime, Jack
dear; and never a thing as could escape me aigle vision. I'm a broth
of bhoy when it comes to steering a boat, do ye mind."

The stream was wide, and there were far less vessels moving up or down
than had been the case above, so that, just as Jimmy declared, it was
an easy job to keep clear of obstructions.

Jack had become intensely interested in the splendid working of his
reconstructed motor. He was watching its pulsations, and experimenting
in many little ways, in order to find out just how to get the maximum
of speed from it.

And then, all at once, he heard Jimmy give utterance to an exclamation
that might be freighted with either curiosity or alarm--perhaps both.

Hardly knowing what to expect, the skipper of the little _Tramp_
struggled to his