They had walked round to the other side of the pond. Coming to the sixth post of the fence, Bill took off his coat and put it in position, and then finished his undressing, while Antony went off to mark the eighteenth post. When they were ready, they got into the boat, Antony taking the oars.
"Now, Bill, tell me as soon as I'm in a line with your two marks."
He rowed slowly towards the middle of the pond.
"You're about there now," said Bill at last.
Antony stopped rowing and looked about him.
"Yes, that's pretty well right." He turned the boat's nose round until it was pointing to the pine-tree under which Bill had lain. "You see my tree and the other coat?"
"Yes," said Bill.
"Right. Now then, I'm going to row gently along this line until we're dead in between the two. Get it as exact as you can—for your own sake."
"Steady!" said Bill warningly. "Back a little. . . . a little more. . . . a little more forward again. . . . Right." Antony left the oars on the water and looked around. As far as he could tell, they were in an exact line with each pair of landmarks.
"Now then, Bill, in you go."
Bill pulled off his shirt and trousers, and stood up.
"You mustn't dive from the boat, old boy," said Antony hastily. "You'll shift its position. Slide in gently."
