Page:The first and last journeys of Thoreau - lately discovered among his unpublished journals and manuscripts.djvu/93

 the beauty of the expression "standing out" applied to a vessel to describe its gradual and steady progress, as it were without shuffling, by mere rectitude and disposition. The steersman of one of the boats offered to take us in tow, but when we came alongside we found that he intended to take us on board, as otherwise we should retard his own voyage too much. As we were too heavy to be lifted aboard, we left him and proceeded up the stream a half a mile, to the shade of some maples, to spend our noon.

In the course of half an hour several boats passed up the river, at intervals of half a mile; and among them came the boat we have mentioned, keeping the middle of the stream, with a fair wind. When within speaking distance, the steersman called out ironically, that if we would come alongside now he would take us in tow. We made no haste to give chase until our preparations were completed, by which time they were a quarter of a mile ahead. Then with all our sails set, and plying our four oars, we shot swiftly up the stream, and one after another we overtook them; and, as we glided close [45]