In the meantime Jack and Rob succeeded in raising the Jolly Pioneer and hauling her up on the bank.  While they stood there, contemplating her in discouragement, and regardless of their own bedraggled condition, who should come along but Uncle Gerald.

“Hie! what is the matter?” he called from the road, suspecting the situation at once.

“Something is wrong with the blamed boat, after all!” Jack shouted back, impatiently.

Uncle Gerald leaped over the low wall, which separated the highway from the meadow, and was presently among them, surveying the unfortunate Pioneer, which now did not look at all jolly, but wore a dejected appearance, one might fancy, as if out of conceit with itself at having proved such a miserable failure.

“There!  I suppose he’ll say, ’If you had not been so positive that you knew all about boatbuilding—­if you had come to me for the advice I promised you,—­this would not have happened,’” thought Jack; feeling that (like the story of the last straw placed upon the overladen pack-horse, which proved too much for its strength) to be thus reminded would make the burden of his vexations greater than he could bear.

Uncle Gerald might indeed have moralized in some such fashion, but he considerately refrained, and only remarked, kindly: 

“Do not be disheartened.  This is not such bad work for a first attempt.  The boat would look better if it were painted, and that would fill up a few of the cracks too.  As some of the boards are not dovetailed together, you should have calked the seams with oakum.”

“To be sure!” responded Jack.  “How could we have had so little gumption as not to have thought of it?”

“Oakum is hemp obtained from untwisting old ropes,” continued Uncle Gerald.  “In genuine ship-building, calking consists in crowding threads of this material with great force into the seams between the planks.  When filled, they are then rubbed over with pitch, or what is known as marine glue,—­a composition of shellac and caoutchouc.  It will not be necessary for you to do all this, however.  Oakum is often used for packing goods also.  I dare say if you hunt around in the barn you will find a little lying about somewhere.  But, bless me, you young rogues!  Here you are all this time in your wet clothes.  Leo, your mother will be worried for fear you may take cold.  Run home as fast as you can and get into a dry suit.  And you other fellows, come!  We’ll take the Jolly Pioneer back to the workshop without delay; and then you must hurry and do the same.”

IV.

Many days had not passed before the boys succeeded in making the punt water-tight.  Yet the carpentering still went on at the barn.

“What is all the hammering for now?” asked Mr. Gordon one afternoon.  “I thought the Jolly Pioneer was in splendid trim and doing good service.”