Chapter 4

           Thesailsflappedovertheirheads.Thewaterchuckledandslappedthesidesoftheboat,whichdrowsedmotionlessinthesun.Nowandthenthesailsrippledwithalittlebreezeinthem,buttherippleranoverthemandceased.Theboatmadenomotionatall.Mr.Ramsaysatinthemiddleoftheboat.Hewouldbeimpatientinamoment,Jamesthought,andCamthought,lookingatherfather,whosatinthemiddleoftheboatbetweenthem(Jamessteered;Camsataloneinthebow)withhislegstightlycurled.Hehatedhangingabout.Sureenough,afterfidgetingasecondortwo,hesaidsomethingsharptoMacalister’sboy,whogotouthisoarsandbegantorow.Buttheirfather,theyknew,wouldneverbecontentuntiltheywereflyingalong.Hewouldkeeplookingforabreeze,fidgeting,sayingthingsunderhisbreath,whichMacalisterandMacalister’sboywouldoverhear,andtheywouldbothbemadehorriblyuncomfortable.Hehadmadethemcome.Hehadforcedthemtocome.Intheirangertheyhopedthatthebreezewouldneverrise,thathemightbethwartedineverypossibleway,sincehehadforcedthemtocomeagainsttheirwills.

           Allthewaydowntothebeachtheyhadlaggedbehindtogether,thoughhebadethem"Walkup,walkup,"withoutspeaking.Theirheadswerebentdown,theirheadswerepresseddownbysomeremorselessgale.Speaktohimtheycouldnot.Theymustcome;theymustfollow.Theymustwalkbehindhimcarryingbrownpaperparcels.