"I'd like to see you do it," the tall man repeated, continually. An imperturbable man in rubber boots climbed down in the boat and seized the oars. The captain motioned downward. His whisker had a triumphant appearance. The two wanderers looked at the boat. "I guess we'll have to get in," murmured the freckled man. The tall man was standing like a granite column. "I won't," said he. "I won't! I don't care what you do, but I won't!" "Well, but--" expostulated the other. They held a furious debate. In the meantime the captain was darting about making sinister gestures, but the back of the tall man held him at bay. The crew, much depleted by the departure of the imperturbable man into the boat, looked on from the bow. "You're a fool," the freckled man concluded his argument. "So?" inquired the tall man, highly exasperated. "So! Well, if you think you're so bright, we'll go in the boat, and then you'll see." He climbed down into the craft and seated himself in an ominous manner at the stern. "You'll see," he said to his companion, as the latter floundered heavily down. "You'll see!" The man in rubber boots calmly rowed the boat toward the shore. As they went, the captain leaned over the railing and laughed. The freckled man was seated very victoriously. "Well, wasn't this the right thing after all?" he inquired in a pleasant voice. The tall man made no reply. CHAPTER VI As they neared the dock something seemed suddenly to occur to the freckled man. "Great heavens!" he murmured. He stared at the approaching shore. "My, what a plight, Tommy!" he quavered. "Do you think so?" spoke up the tall man. "Why, I really thought you liked it." He laughed in a hard voice. "Lord, what a figure you'll cut." This laugh jarred the freckled man's soul. He became mad. "Thunderation, turn the boat around!" he roared. "Turn 'er round, quick! Man alive, we can't--turn 'er round, d'ye hear!" The tall man in the stern gazed at his companion with glowing eyes. "Certainly not," he said. "We're going on. You insisted Upon it." He began to prod his companion with words. The freckled man stood up and waved his arms. "Sit down," said the tall man. "You'll tip the boat over." The other man began to shout. "Sit down!" said the tall man again. Words bubbled from the freckled man's mouth. There was a little torrent of sentences that almost choked him. And he protested passionately with his hands. But the boat went on to the shadow of the docks. The tall man was intent upon balancing it as it rocked dangerously during his comrade's oration. "Sit down," he continually repeated. "I won't," raged the freckled man. "I won't do anything." The boat wobbled with these words. "Say," he continued, addressing the oarsman, "just turn this boat round, will you? Where in the thunder are you taking us to, anyhow?" The oarsman looked at the sky and thought. Finally he spoke. "I'm doin' what the cap'n sed."