Marco Paul's Voyages and Travels; Vermont

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, and then he was almost afraid to go in, for fear that, by some accident or other, his uncle might have noticed his absence, and might ask him something about it. He was usually much intereste

cern. It was the detection itself, rather than what was to come after it, that he feared. There is something in the very act of being detected and exposed in guilt, which the heart instinctively

hether they could have it fitted with oars, and to make arrangements to that effect. Marco now hoped that Forester had forgotten this plan, and would not go. Though he had been very much interested in the plan the day before, he now felt disinclined to go. He wished to be alone, or at l

n about half an hour they set out. They walked together to the mill-pond. Forester said that the boat belonged to a man who worked in the mills, but he live

llman'

he man who lived there was famous for keeping a great many animals. He had pigs, and cows, and Malta cats, and two dogs,--one of them a water dog,--and ducks and geese,--among the latter,

r and Marco rambled about the yards, looking at the animals for some time, and then went to the water's edge, which was very near the house. The ducks and geese were swimming in the water. Forester called the dog there, and Marco amused himself for some time in

Forester, here

e man don't seem to be at hom

we do in that ca

ouse first, and ascertain

said that the man was at the mill, but that his wife said that they might have the boat to

d Marco, "

d Forester, "I can

ery differently from an oar. It is much shorter and lighter,--though the blade is broader. A paddle is worked, too, differently from an oar. An oar acts as a lever

for in this country?" sai

to decide that questi

rco; "I have rowed

h. You have used oars, but not paddl

ean to try this paddle n

ubject, when suddenly he recollected that it would betray him. In fact, Marco found that having such a secret as this upon his mind, was a source of great embarrassment and constraint, as he more than once came very

dli

to grasp the lower end of the handle with the other hand. Then, by dipping the blade in the water and pushing the water back, the boat was propelled forward. He al

"with a paddle you can steer,

ars I can,"

e paddle. Therefore, if you can have but one, a paddle is better than an oar. There is anot

arco, "that is a

to the bow of the boat, and look over yo

o, "unless you h

ry well with oars, but in case of only one man, there is an advantage in a paddle. There is sti

?" aske

d the oar off upon one side of the boat, and there must be a certain distance between the part which he takes hold of, and the row-lock, i

id Marco, "for one kind of

Oars require greater breadth of water to work in. In a narrow, crooked stream flowing among logs

y wide enough for the

ddle itself requires no additional spa

ly?" ask

far on each side, that they require a great breadth of water. If

co. "You can give o

thing about that

d headway, till just as you get to the narrow place, and then trail is the word. Then the oarsmen all whip their oars out of the r

bing this manoeuver, but Forester did no

uously through a narrow space, better than it can be rowed. Therefore, paddles are generally used on rivers, where there are many narro

og up. When the log was in the mill, the man would roll it over into its place, on a long platform of timber, where it was to be sawed. Then he would set the saw machinery in motion, and the platform would begin to move forward, and the saw at the same time to go up and down, sawing the log as it advanced. Thus it would saw it through, from end to end, and then, by reversing the motion of the machinery, the log was carried back again. The man would then move it a little to one side, just far enough for the thickness of the board which he wished to make, and then

made along the sides of the boat, and some oars to row it with. It would also be necessary to have seats, or thwarts, as they are called, placed in such a manner that there should be one just before each row-lock. These seats were for the oarsmen to sit upon, in row

hey concluded to have three pairs on each side. This would require six oars. These oars the wagon-maker promised to make, and to have all the work done by the beginning of the next week. They also concluded

o get a wagon-maker to wo

you would go to a boat

ied Marco,

n fact, there are very few trades represented here, and

, Marco asked Forester if he might go down to the river a

er, "you can keep

d Marco. "Don't y

ster. "You have been here now some weeks, and I have treate

es," sa

study, several times in the forenoons. I have let you go up on the mountains with other boys, and lent you my watch, so that you

id not know what to say. H

the trust. If, on reflection, you think that you have, you may take your fishing-line and go a-fishing. If you feel conscious that you have at any time betrayed my confidence, you must not go this afternoon. You may go out to play wherever you please about the house and garden, but yo

ked along in silence. Such a turn to the conversation was

may wish to confess it to me. If you have been guilty of any such act, the best thing that you can do is to confess it to me at once; and if you wish to do it, you may wait till I come, for that purpose. So you may wait till I come either to

study. He was greatly perplexed to know what to make of this address. "Can it be," thought he, "that he knows that I went away th

e was disposed; but we must do him the justice to say, that he did not entertain the idea of doing it a moment. He determined that he would not go. But as he was not prepared to confess his fault, and as he had no question to ask, he determined to go and play about the garden. He thought a little of waiting till his cousin came in, and then honestly making a confession

out it,--but then he knew it was Forester's way not always to make known, at once, all that he knew in such cases. But then he thought, again, that Forester could not know any thing about it. There was no way for him to have known it. He was away all the morning, and did not come home until after Marco got back. So he concluded that Forester

o spent some time in the garden with James, who was at work there raking over the ground, and gathering in such things as might be hurt by any sudden frost. Marco worked with him for som

d his father and mother about their plan for a boat, and gave them a full account of their visit to the mill. His mother seemed quite interested

ve a seat, cousin Forester, for passeng

Forester, "what do you

, "between the coxswain's pl

" said his aunt, "when w

ill he was ill at ease, and he determined to tell Forester the wh