The river was a vast, murmuring stream, and the five voyagers felt that, for the present, their task was an easy one.

A single man at the oars was sufficient to keep the boat moving as fast as they wished, and the rest occupied themselves with details that might provide for a future need.
Paul brought out one of the beautiful small swords again, and fenced vigorously with an imaginary antagonist.

Jim Hart took a captured needle and thread and began to mend a rent in his attire.

Henry lifted the folded tent from the locker and looked carefully at the cloth.
"I think that with this and a pole or two we might fix up a sail if we needed it," he said.

"We don't know anything about sails, but we can learn by trying." Tom Ross was at the oars, but Shif'less Sol lay back on a locker, closed his eyes, and said: "Jest wake me up, when we git to New Or-lee-yuns.