“I shall be a great deal more strict than Marco,” said Forester.  “So I don’t expect that you will like me.  But I will try.  I don’t want quite so many oarsmen to begin with; I should rather teach a few at a time.  Are there any of you that would like to come ashore, and let the rest practice first?”

None of the boys moved.  They all wished to practice first.  This was just as Forester expected.

“Very well,” said Forester; “I know how I can thin out my crew.  As fast as I find that you don’t obey my orders, I shall put you ashore.”

“But suppose we don’t understand?” said one of the boys.

“I shall explain fully beforehand what you are to do.  And, Marco, you must observe how I manage, and then you will know another time.  When you have got any thing to teach, the art consists in dividing the lesson into a great many very short steps, and letting your pupils take one at a time.”

Forester knew nothing about managing a boat’s crew until that day, but he had observed very attentively all the orders which Marco had given, and noticed their meaning, and thus he was prepared to manoeuver the boat as far as Marco had gone in giving his orders.  He accordingly stepped into the boat and took Marco’s place; while Marco himself walked forward and took his place at the bow of the boat, saying that he was going to be bowman.

“Marco,” said Forester, “you say that when the order is Attention, the crew must be silent; what is the order when I want to give them liberty to talk again?”

“Crew at ease” said Marco.

“Very well.  Now, boys, when I say Attention, you must be still, look at me, hear all I say, and obey the orders as exactly as you can, but ask no questions and give me no advice, nor speak to one another, till I say, Crew at ease.  Then you can talk again.  Perhaps two or three of you will disobey, and I have no objection to that, as I should like some excuse for putting some of you ashore.”

Forester smiled as he said this, and every boy determined that he would not be the one to be sent ashore.

“Attention!” said Forester.

Forester then put his paddle into the water and paddled the boat out into the pond a little way.  While he was doing this, there was a dead silence on board the boat.  Not a boy spoke a word; and when, at last, Forester stopped paddling, the boat floated on a little way gently through the water, and not a sound was to be heard except the distant barking of a dog on the opposite shore.

“Crew at ease,” said Forester.  The boys laughed, changed their positions, and began to talk.

“I didn’t get any of you ashore then,” said Forester, “but I shall succeed the next time, for I shall watch my opportunity when you are all busy talking, and say, Attention, suddenly; then you will not all stop in an instant, but some will go on just to finish their sentence, and this will be disobeying the order, and so I shall get you ashore.”