ults, and correcting them. The boat seemed to be as light
as a feather; and even with the indifferent rowing, she made tremendous
headway, as the boys thought. She was soon at the head of the lake.

"Now, boys, we have to stop as well as start her," said the teacher,
some time before the boat reached the head of the lake, where the river
flowed into it; "and the command will be, 'Stand by to lay on your
oars!' But that order is only for you to be ready to do it. The next
command will be 'Oars!' The last order, Frank, must be given at the
beginning of a stroke, the oars being in the water. Then, boys, you
will level your oars, all in a straight line, not one above or below
the others; and you will turn, or feather them, as it is called, so
that they would lie flat on the water if dropped down; but they must
not be dropped down, not one of them. Now give the command, Frank. You
need not stand up to do it, unless there's an emergency."

"Stand by to lay on your oars!" called the coxswain. "Oars!" he added
after a short pause.

This movement, like the others, required to be done several times; but
the Zephyr lost her headway at the mouth of the river. On the return,
the young oarsmen were instructed in feathering their oars. They were
told precisely how to turn the hands so as to bring the oar up flatwise
as it came out of the water, and how to reverse the motion when it was
dipped for the stroke. They had become somewhat accustomed to handling
the oars, and Uncle Ben warmly commended the proficiency they made.
Frank had headed the boat for Centre Island; and when she was abreast
of it, Ben called his attention to the fact that his father and mother
were both on the beach, observing the movements of the Zephyr and her
crew.

It was nearly time to go ashore; but the old sailor gave them two more
lessons,--one from laying on the oars to holding water when it was
desirable to check the headway, and the other to back the craft in
order to stop the headway at once.

Ben declared that the club had done exceedingly well for the first day
afloat, and now they must go to the spot where Captain and Mrs. Sedley
were looking at them. Frank was directed to run for the cottage of the
widow Weston.

"Now we must give the captain the compliment of tossing oars to him,"
said Ben on the way over. "When a boat in the navy is to meet or pass
one containing a superior officer, it is the fashion to salute him with
a toss of the oars exact