Observing the River Queen plying her usual course, the boy deliberately steered to cross her path. As Penny well knew, by rules of navigation the ferryboat was compelled to watch out for the smaller boat. With apparent unconcern, Jack forced the Queen to change courses.
As the boats passed fairly close to each other, Sally appeared at the railing. A bandana handkerchief covered her hair and she wore slacks and a white sweater. Watching the Spindrift with concentration, she cupped her hands and shouted:
"If you sail near Hat Island, better be careful, Jack! The river level is dropping fast this morning. There's a shoal--"
"When I need advice from you, I'll ask for it!" Jack replied furiously, turning his back to the ferry.
Sally waved derisively and disappeared into the pilot house.
"Why aren't you two nicer to each other?" Penny demanded suddenly. "It seems to me you deliberately try to wave a red flag at her. For instance, sailing across the River Queen's bow--"
"Oh, I just intend to show Sally she can't push me around! Let's go home."
Suddenly tiring of the sport, Jack let out the mainsail, and the boat glided swiftly before the wind. Approaching a small island tangled with bushes and vines, Penny noted that the water was growing shallow. She called Jack's attention to the muddy bottom beneath them.
"Oh, it's deep enough through here," the boy responded carelessly. "I make the passage every day."
"What island are we passing?"
"Hat. The water always is shoal here. Just sit tight and quit scowling at me."
"I didn't know I was," Penny said, sinking back into the cushions.
The Spindrift gently grazed bottom. Dismayed, Penny straightened up, peering over the side. The boat was running hard into a mud bank.
"About! Bring her about, Jack!" she cried before she considered how he might take the uninvited advice.
"The water is deep enough here," Jack answered stubbornly. "It's only a tiny shoal. We'll sail through it easily."
Penny said nothing more, though her lips drew into a tight line.
Jack held to his course. For a moment it appeared that the boat would glide over the shoal into deeper water. Then the next instant they were hard aground. The sail began to flap.
"We're stuck like a turtle in a puddle," commented Penny, not without satisfaction.
"We'll get off!" Jack cried, seizing a paddle from the bottom of the boat.
He tried to shove away from the shoal, but the wind against the big sail resisted his strength.
"You'll never get off that way," Penny said calmly. "Why not take down the sail? We're hard aground now."
Jack glared, and looked as if he would like to heave the paddle at her.
"Okay," he growled.
Winds which came from the head of Hat Island were tricky. Before Jack could lower the sail, the breeze, shifting slightly, struck the expanse of canvas from directly aft.
"Look out, Jack!" Penny screamed a warning. "We're going to jibe!"
Jack ducked but not quickly enough. With great violence, the wind swung the sail over to the opposite side of the boat, the boom striking him a stunning blow on the back of the head.
Moaning with pain, he slumped into the bottom of the Spindrift.
