In fact, Kilian's changed manner toward the tutor of itself was quite enough to show that he had behaved unexpectedly well.
The unvarnished and unbowspritted and unjib-boomed tale was pretty much as follows: Mr.Langenau had found himself in the middle of the river, when the storm came on.

I am afraid he could not have been thinking very much about the clouds, not to have noticed that a storm was rising; though every one agreed that they had never known anything like the rapidity of its coming up.

Before he knew what he was about, a squall struck him, and he had great difficulty to right the boat.

(Then followed a good deal about luffing and tacking and keeping her taut to windward; that is, I think that was where he wanted to keep her.) But whatever it was, he didn't succeed in doing it, and Kilian vouchsafed to say nobody could have done it.

Then something split: I really cannot say whether it was the mast, or the bowsprit, or the centre-board, but whatever it was, it hurt Mr.Langenau so much that for a moment he was stunned.