He had not yet thought of a way to get Tom back to land.
"I—I didn't think the boat would float away," Tom answered. "I got in it and untied the rope. Then, the first thing I knew I was away out here. The wind blew me out, but it won't blow me back. I'll soon be out in the middle, I guess!"
Though there had been enough wind to blow Tom, in the boat, away from shore, there was hardly any wind now, so the boy could not be blown back. And how to get him to shore was something that Bunny and Sue could not tell how to do, especially as there were no oars in the boat.
"He can't row without oars," said Bunny.
"No, he can't," said Sue. She knew enough about boats to tell that. "And he hasn't any sail," she added.
"Haven't you got a stick, so you can push yourself back to shore?" called Bunny.
"I have a little stick, but it won't touch bottom," Tom answered. As he spoke he held up a short tree branch. Bunny had used it the day before as a fishpole, and when through
