28 MEN I HAVE FISHED WITH. 



After some deliberation and discussion of the case they 

 decided that a short piece of board, fastened edgewise to 

 the under side of the keel and at an angle of about forty- 

 five degrees to its length, would be about the best thing 

 that could be done at the time. Bradbury finished the 

 board and Miles affixed it, and the boat was placed in the 

 water with the improved combination centreboard and 

 rudder. The big scow came up the river bearing the 

 great seine on a platform over its stern, and four stalwart 

 oarsmen made her stem the current past the ferry. A 

 crowd had assembled when Billy appeared with a pair of 

 oars on his shoulder, and casting loose the painter shoved 

 off his boat, put the oars in position and began to row. 

 The boat seemed bewitched, for it kept going round in a 

 circle, no matter how the oarsman tried to keep it straight, 

 and Billy, pale as a ghost, dropped his oars and was evi- 

 dently praying in Dutch. The boat drifted near the dock 

 below, when Pop Huyler kindly called to the old man to 

 throw him the rope; he did so, and Billy was safe, but 

 weak and faint. 



"Must ha' been spooks in the boat last night, Billy," 

 said Pop. 



"Yes/' he replied, "I 'spect so; might a know'd there'd 

 be bad luck, fur a hen crowed yestidy an' the fust man I 

 see this mornin' was cross-eyed." 



"Sure," said Charley Bradbury, "that's enough to 

 bring bad luck ; but, Billy, come up to Brockway's tavern 

 and take something, and say that Dutch prayer once 

 more, and that'll fix 'em all right." 



While Billy was repeating the exorcising words Miles 

 got help and pulled the boat on the dock and ripped off 

 the board, launched the boat, and then, after much per- 

 suasion, Billy tried it again; and behold! the spell of the 

 witches, spooks and other evil-doers was broken, and 



