One," sang out Dick Selmes, shoving the cause of all
the bother in front of him, as they gained the deck. Then there was a
great deal of hugging and kissing on the part of the mother, which was
cut short by the decisive voice of the doctor, ordering the drenched and
shivering boy to be taken below at once.

"Dick, you scoundrel, what do you mean by behaving like that?" exclaimed
Sir Anson rather unsteadily, as he wrung the defaulter's hands again and
again. "What d'you mean by it, sir? Ah, Greenoak, I told you you'd
find him a handful, and he's lost no time in backing up what I said.
And you--Why, man, after what you were just telling me--swarming with
sharks, eh? Heroic--that's what it is. You're a hero, sir--both
heroes--and--"

"I say, dad," interrupted Dick, quizzically, "let's have the speech
later. We want to go and change and get something hot. I swear _I_
do."

This raised a great laugh among the lookers on, tailing off into a
cheer, in the midst of which the dripping ones disappeared in the
companion way, followed by Sir Anson.

CHAPTER TWO.

A BEGINNING.

"Good-bye, Greenoak."

"Good-bye, Sir Anson."

"No need to repeat my absolute confidence in leaving him in your hands,"
went on the latter. "You're already begun by saving his life."

"Oh, as to that I only helped him. He'd have been all right anyhow,"
replied Greenoak. "And," he added, "you won't mind my reminding you of
one agreement--that of that subject we have heard more than enough!"

"I agreed to nothing of the sort. It's a subject of which we could not
hear enough! Well, Greenoak, when your wanderings with the boy are
over, come back home with him and make a good long stay at our place,
though we have nothing more ferocious to shoot than pheasants and hares.
Is that a promise?"

"Delighted, Sir Anson."

The above conversation took place in the otherwise empty smoking-room of
the Port Elizabeth Club. The old gentleman was returning to England
that afternoon, incidentally by the same liner that had brought them
out. It would be more comfortable, he reckoned, than returning by a
strange boat, and the sooner Dick set off on his travels the better; a
theory, by the way, which was held by Dick even more firmly than by his
father. The said Dick now put in his appearance.

"Time, dad," he said, comparing his watch with the mantelpiece clock.
"The last launch, you know, and she won't wait. So come along."

"Good-bye agai