“We never shall get back in the world,” said one of the boys; “forty men couldn’t row the boat up those rips.”

“Let us try,” said Forester.  So he ordered the oars out again, and put the boat under way.  He brought her head round so as to point up stream, and calling upon the crew to give way strong, he forced her back into the rapid water.  They went on a few rods, but long before they reached the most rapid part, they found that with all their exertions they could make no progress.  The boat seemed stationary. “Oars,” said Forester.  The boys stopped rowing, holding their oars in the air, just above the water.  Forester then, by means of his paddle, turned the boat round again, saying, “Well, if we can’t go up, we can go down stream.”  He then ordered the crew to give way again, and they began to glide along swiftly down the river.

The boys wondered how Forester was going to get back, but he told them to give themselves no concern on that score.  “That responsibility rests on me,” said he.

“But how came you to come down here,” said Marco, “when you said my advice wasn’t good?”

“I said your opinion was not wise.  The boys who advised me not to come were wiser than you.  They gave better advice, so far as they and you understood the case.  But I know something which you do not, as is usual with commanders,—­and therefore I came down.  In view of all that you know, it would have been wisest to have gone back, but in view of all that I know, it is wisest to come down.”

The curiosity of the boys was very much excited to know what it could be that Forester knew which rendered coming down the river wise; but Forester would make no explanations.  He said that commanders were not generally very communicative to their crews.  In the mean time the boat went on, sometimes shooting swiftly through the rapids, and sometimes floating in a more calm and quiet manner on the surface of the stiller water.  In this way they went on more than a mile, enjoying the voyage very highly, and admiring the varied scenery which was presented to their view at every turn of the stream.

At one place the boys landed upon a small sandy beach under some overhanging rocks.  They amused themselves in climbing about the rocks for a time, and then they were ordered aboard again, and sailed on.

Now it happened that the river, in the part of its course over which this voyage had been performed, took a great circuit, and though they had followed its course for more than a mile, they were now drawing near to a place which was not very far from Forester’s father’s house,—­being about as much below it, as the place where the boat belonged in the mill-pond was above it.  As they approached the point where the river turned again, Marco, who was looking out before, saw a sort of landing, where there was a man standing, together with a yoke of oxen.  It was just sunset when they approached