ried Tom; and to prove it he turned
quickly over on his face propped himself up on his hands, with his
elbows well bent, and then gave a sharp downward thrust which threw him
up so that he stood well balanced once more upon his stout wooden legs.

"That's right," said Aleck, after a glance at the half-submerged boat.
"Now, then, how did you manage it?"

"Me manage it, sir? Oh, that's how I allus gets up when I'm down."

"No, no, no," cried Aleck, impatiently. "I mean about the boat. Did
some other boat foul her?"

"No-o-o!" cried Tom. "You chucked that great lump of paper down and it
went through the bottom."

"Paper? What, the paper I went to fetch?"

"Ay, sir."

The lad went and picked up a small parcel he had dropped on the pier and
held it up in the man's sight as he gazed wonderingly at him again, and
then said, very severely:

"Look here, Tom, you are mad, or have you been--you know?"

Aleck turned his hand into a drinking vessel and imitated the act of
drinking.

"No-o-o-o!" cried Tom, indignantly. "Haven't had a drop of anything but
water for a week."

"Then how did you get my boat half full of water?"

"I didn't, sir. You came and chucked that heavy lump of paper down, and
it broke the middle thwart, being a weak 'un, because of the hole
through for the boat's mast, and went on down through the bottom."

"What! I did nothing of the sort, sir."

"Oh, Master Aleck! Why, I seed yer shadow come right over me with yer
hands up holding the lump o' paper, and afore I could straighten myself
up down it come, and went right through the bottom."

"You don't mean to tell me that there's a hole right through the bottom
of my beautiful Seagull?" cried Aleck, wildly.

"Why, how could she have got full o' water if you hadn't chucked that
down? I would ha' come up and fetched it, sir. That comes o' your
being so rannish."

"How dare you!" cried Aleck, passionately. "I tell you I did nothing of
the sort."

"What's the good o' telling an out-an'-outer about it, Master Aleck,
sir, when I see yer quite plain; leastwise, I see yer shadow when yer
come to the edge."

"You saw nothing of the sort," cried Aleck, fiercely. "You scoundrel!
You've been sailing her about while I've been up the town, and run her
on a rock. I did trust you, Tom, and now you try to hoodwink me with a
miserable story that wouldn't deceive a child. Tell me the truth at
once, sir, or never again do you sail with me."

"