SOBER JOHN. 65

“¢ Steer! steer, John!’ cried out Arthur ;

‘why don’t you steer?’

“Just at that moment the jolly-boat had
wheeled almost entirely around, and had
arrived at the opposite side of the pond.
The end of one of the runners struck the
snow of the shore gently, and it stopped,
and the boys all jumped off, laughing hear-

tily, and all eager to go up and try it again. —

They accordingly hooked on the rope again,
and pulled away, and were soon ready for
another slide. John then said he would
leave them to manage for themselves.
“You won’t steer very well,’ said he, ‘ at first,
and, in fact, you may get some capsizings;
but you must be all the merrier for it.’

‘““And now I must have some sea-phrases -

to tell the rest,” said Jonas.
“Very well,” said Lucy.

“The next time they tried it, George took ©
the helm, and they went on very correctly |

half way down; but then they began to run
off the track to the left.
““<'Take care! take care!’ said James.

“¢ Hi—yi, hi—yi!’ said Thomas, half |

Screaming, half laughing.
¢ Steer, George, steer!’ said Frank.
6 *

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