They kept on steadily for another hour, until at last they came quite
suddenly upon a little fishing village situated on a tiny bay. Two or
three small craft were anchored inside the stone pier, along which two
or three small children, in all the restriction of Sunday clothes, were
soberly pacing up and down.

"This must be it," said Sam. "Keep your eyes open, cook."

"What's the name o' this place, mate?" said Sam expectantly to an old
salt who was passing.

"Stone-pen Quay," said the old man.

Sam's face fell. "How far is it to Piggott's Bay, then?" he inquired.

"To where?" said the old man, taking his pipe out of his mouth and
staring hard.

"Piggott's Bay," said Sam.

"You don't tell me you're looking for Piggott's Bay," said the old man.

"Why not?" said Sam shortly.

Instead of replying the old man slapped his leg, and with his pipe
cocked at one side of his mouth, laughed a thin senile laugh with the
other.

"When you've done laughin'," said the cook with dignity.

"But I ain't," said the old man, removing his pipe and laughing with
greater freedom. "They're looking for Piggott's Bay, Joe," he said,
turning to a couple of fishermen who had just come up.

"What a lark!" said Joe, beaming with pleasure. "Come far?" he inquired.

"Cocklemouth," said Sam with a blank look. "When you've done laughin',
what's the joke?"

"Why, there ain't no such place," said the man. "It's just a saying in
these parts, that's all."

"Just a _wot?_" said the bewildered Sam faintly.

"It's just a saying like," said the other, exchanging glances with his
friends.

"I don't take you," said the cook. "How can a place be a sayin'?"

"Well, it come through a chap about here named Captain Piggott," said
the fisherman, speaking slowly. "He was a wonderful queer old chap, and
he got out of his reckoning once, and made--ah, South Amerikey, warn't
it, Dan?"

"I believe so," said the old man.

"He thought he'd found a new island," continued the fisherman, "an'
he went ashore an' hoisted the Union Jack, and named it arter hisself,
Piggott's Bay. Leastways that's the tale his chaps gave out when they
come 'ome. Now when anybody's a bit out o' their reckoning we say
they're looking for Piggott's Bay. It's just a joke about here."

He began to laugh again, and Sam, noting with regret that he was a big
fellow and strong, turned away and followed in the footsteps of the
cook, who had already commenced the ascent of the cliff.