thus described had just come aft grave as a judge, and
burst out crying in the midst without more ado. On this phenomenon,
so sharply defined, he was subjected to many interrogatories, some
coaxingly uttered, some not. Had he hurt himself? had he over-ate
himself? was he frightened? was he cold? was he sick? was he an idiot?

To all and each he uttered the same reply, which English writers render
thus, oh! oh! oh! and French writers thus, hi! hi! hi! So fixed are
Fiction's phonetics.

"Who can tell what ails the peevish brat?" snarled the young boatman
impatiently. "Rather look this way and tell me whom be these after!"
The old man and his other son looked, and saw four men walking along
the east bank of the river; at the sight they left rowing awhile, and
gathered mysteriously in the stern, whispering and casting glances
alternately at their passengers and the pedestrians.

The sequel may show they would have employed speculation better in
trying to fathom the turnip-face mystery; I beg pardon of my age: I mean
the deep mind of dauntless infancy.

"If 'tis as I doubt," whispered one of the young men, "why not give them
a squeak for their lives; let us make for the west bank."

The old man objected stoutly. "What," said he, "run our heads into
trouble for strangers! are ye mad? Nay, let us rather cross to the east
side; still side with the strong arm! that is my rede. What say you,
Werter?"

"I say, please yourselves."

What age and youth could not decide upon, a puff of wind settled most
impartially. Came a squall, and the little vessel heeled over; the men
jumped to windward to trim her; but to their horror they saw in the very
boat from stem to stern a ditch of water rushing to leeward, and the
next moment they saw nothing, but felt the Rhine, the cold and rushing
Rhine.

"Turnip-face" had drawn the plug.

The officers unwound the cords from their waists.

Gerard could swim like a duck; but the best swimmer, canted out of a
boat capsized, must sink ere he can swim. The dark water bubbled loudly
over his head, and then he came up almost blind and deaf for a moment;
the next, he saw the black boat bottom uppermost, and figures clinging
to it; he shook his head like a water-dog, and made for it by a sort of
unthinking imitation; but ere he reached it he heard a voice behind him
cry not loud but with deep manly distress, "Adieu, comrade, adieu!"

He looked, and there was poor Denys sinking, sinking, weighed