d stepping
in himself; -- "as it strikes me."

"I wish you would take my advice," said Rufus.

"Which?" said his brother.

"Let them alone!"

"I will," said Winthrop; "I mean that."

"You are excessively provoking!"

"Are you sure?" said Winthrop smiling. "What do you propose
that I should do, Rufus?"

"Send Sam Doolittle in your place."

"Willingly; but it happens that he could not fill my place.
You must see that."

"And are you going to bring up their baggage and all?"

"I must know the sum of two unknown quantities before I can
tell whether it is just equal to a boat-load."

Rufus stood on the shore, biting his lip. The little boat was
silently slipping out from between the rocks, after a light
touch or two of the oars, when Asahel came bounding down the
road and claimed Winthrop's promise for a place in it.

"You don't want this child with you!" said Rufus.

But Winthrop gave one or two pushes in the reverse direction
and with great skill laid the skiff alongside of the rock.
Asahel jumped in triumphantly, and again slowly clearing the
rocks the little boat took the tide and the impulse of a
strong arm at once, and shot off down the stream.

They kept the mid-channel, and with its swift current soon
came abreast of the high out-jutting headland behind which the
waters turned and hid themselves from the home view. Diver's
Rock, it was called, from some old legend now forgotten. A few
minutes more, and the whole long range of the river below was
plain in sight, down to a mountain several miles off, behind
which it made yet another sharp turn and was again lost. In
that range the river ran a little west of south; just before
rounding Diver's Rock its direction was near due east, so that
the down tide at the turn carried them well over towards the
eastern shore. That was what they wanted, as Cowslip's mill
was on that side. So keeping just far enough from the shore to
have the full benefit of the ebb, they fell softly and quick
down the river; with a changing panorama of rocks and foliage
at their side, the home promontory of Shahweetah lying in
sight just north of them, and over it the heads of the
northern mountains; while a few miles below, where the river
made its last turn, the mountains on either side locked into
one another and at once checked and rested the eye. The lines
of ground there were beautiful; the western light sported
among them, dividing hill from hill, and crowning their heads