They get the line round their legs, and have to sit down on the path and undo each other, and then they twist it round their necks, and are nearly strangled.

They fix it straight, however, at last, and start off at a run, pulling the boat along at quite a dangerous pace.

At the end of a hundred yards they are naturally breathless, and suddenly stop, and all sit down on the grass and laugh, and your boat drifts out to mid-stream and turns round, before you know what has happened, or can get hold of a scull.

Then they stand up, and are surprised.
"Oh, look!" they say; "he's gone right out into the middle." [Picture: Lady pinning up frock] They pull on pretty steadily for a bit, after this, and then it all at once occurs to one of them that she will pin up her frock, and they ease up for the purpose, and the boat runs aground.
You jump up, and push it off, and you shout to them not to stop.
"Yes.

What's the matter ?" they shout back.
"Don't stop," you roar.
"Don't what ?" "Don't stop--go on--go on!" "Go back, Emily, and see what it is they want," says one; and Emily comes back, and asks what it is.
"What do you want ?" she says; "anything happened ?" "No," you reply, "it's all right; only go on, you know--don't stop." "Why not ?" "Why, we can't steer, if you keep stopping.