"Look alive there, Mate!" sang out Father De Smet. "Hard aportwith the tiller! Head her out into the stream!"

Joseph flung his pole to his father and rushed back to Netteke,pulled her patient nose out of a delicious bunch of thistles andstarted her up the tow-path. Jan sprang to the tiller, and soonthe "0ld Woman" was once more gliding smoothly over the quietwater toward Antwerp.