Therefore it was that both Alec and I were startled--almost frightened--when suddenly there came as if from out of the water, the cry:-- “Boat ahoy!” For an instant I stared at Alec stupidly, and then, realizing how careless we had been, I sprang to my feet, looking wildly about. The cry was repeated, and by bending outboard ever so slightly I saw just ahead of us, where we must have run her down had we held the course two or three minutes longer, a small boat, better known to us in Presque Isle by the name of bateau--a craft half canoe, half skiff, such as the Canadians use on swiftly running water--and in her, but making no effort to paddle out of the way, was a lad of about my own age, who waved his arms frantically to attract our attention. I pulled the tiller up so that we might pass him on the starboard side, and as our boat swung off I understood why he had remained idle until we were near to running him down. In the bateau was not so much as a paddle. The lad was powerless to direct her movements, and I stared at him stupidly in amazement, wondering how it chanced that he should thus be drifting so far from land at the mercy of wind and wave. FOOTNOTES: [2] Afterward renamed the _Trippe_. CHAPTER VI. LEON MARCHAND. While Alec and I gazed at the frightened-looking occupant of the bateau, our craft was gliding swiftly by, and the lad, believing we intended to leave him in his plight, shrieked wildly:-- “In the name of mercy take me aboard your boat! Do not desert me!” From his manner of speaking I understood that he was what we round about Presque Isle call a French-Canadian, and as such it was reasonable to suppose he had no very great love for the British. However, whether he had been a friend or foe it was not my purpose to leave him, for should the wind increase to a gale he would be in great danger, while if it fell calm the lad was like to die from thirst or hunger. Our craft was not to be brought around in an instant, and the boy, who could have known but little of seamanship, believing we intended to run away from him, redoubled his cries for help. “Have patience until we can lay you alongside,” Alec shouted with no little tinge of anger in his tones, for it seemed childish that this fellow should suppose we could bring the eighteen-foot boat up into the wind as we pleased. The lad was so thoroughly frightened that he seemingly failed to understand anything we said to him; but continued to shriek imploringly, while we manœuvred our boat as best we might in a wind so strong that it was necessary to run off for a mile or more before we could stand back toward him. “He is even more than an ordinary coward!” Alec exclaimed, as the boy’s cries came to us, while, if he had had his wits about him, he must have seen that we were doing all in our power to get alongside the bateau.