"What's to upset you?
At any rate you shall try." And he laid his hand on the oar of the man who was nearest to him, but this, instead of having the effect which he desired, turned the nose of the boat the other way.
"For God's sake, my dear friends, do this favour for us if you can!" said Madame de Lescure.

"It may save the life of my husband, and indeed we will reward you richly for your labour.

Stop, Arthur, don't use violence; I am sure they will do this kindness for us, if they are able." "If they won't do it for kindness, they shall do it because they cannot help it," said Arthur, when he saw that the men still showed no disposition to go down the stream; and as he spoke he pulled his pistol out of his belt, and prepared to cock it.

The pistol, in truth, was perfectly harmless, for it had been over and over again immersed in the water, and the powder was saturated with wet; but this did not occur to the boatmen, nor, very possibly, to Arthur either; and when he, stepping across the thwart, on which the hinder man was sitting, held the pistol close to the ear of the other, threatening that if he did not at once do as he was bid, he would blow out his brains and take his place on the seat, the poor old man dropped his oar from his hand into the water, and falling on his knees on the bottom of the boat, implored for mercy.
"Spare me, Monsieur! oh, spare me!" said he.

"Ladies, pray speak for me: I am not used to this work--indeed I am not--and I and my comrade are nearly dead with fatigue." Arthur put the pistol back into his belt when the poor man begged for mercy, and pulling the fallen oar out of the water, declared that he would himself row round the island, and that the two old men might take the other oar in turns.