"You've got a pretty boat," said Mr. Plane, the carpenter. "I
suppose you know how to manage it?" he added inquiringly.
"Yes," answered John carelessly, "I've been in a sailboat before
to-day."
Mr. Plane's doubts were set at rest by John's confident manner,
and he suppressed the caution which he had intended to give him.
It made little difference, however, for John was headstrong, and
would have been pretty certain to disregard whatever he might
say.
It was true that this was not the first time John had been in a
sailboat; but if not the first, it was only the second. The first
occasion had been three years previous, and at that time he had
had nothing to do with the management of the boat--a very
important matter. It was in John's nature to be over-confident,
and he thought he understood merely from observation exactly how
a boat ought to be managed. As we shall see, he found out his
mistake.
The first day after his boat was ready John was greatly
disappointed that there was no wind.
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