When the oars are apeak, they are drawn _in_ a little way, so that the handle of each oar may be passed under a sort of cleat or ledge, which runs along on the inside of the boat near the upper edge of it.

This keeps the oar firm in its place without the necessity of holding it, the handle being under this cleat, while the middle of the oar rests in the row-lock.
Thus the oarsmen are relieved from the necessity of holding their oars, and yet the oars are all ready to be seized again in a moment, whenever it becomes desirable to commence rowing.
Meantime the boat slowly drifted down the stream.

The water was here deep and comparatively still, and the boys amused themselves with looking over the sides into the depths of the water.

They glided noiselessly along over various objects,--now a great flat rock, now a sunken tree, and now a bed of yellow sand.

Every now and then, Forester would order the oars out, and make the oarsmen give way for a few strokes, so as to give the boat what they called steerage way, that is, way through the water, so that holding the paddle in one position or the other would steer it.