up? and how
are we to get him carried home?'

"'I would not have you distress yourself so, Miss Vea,' said Natilie. 'I
think I can get him out of this difficulty, with very little patience,
if we could get him carried home.'

"'If you get him out of the hole he has fallen into,' said Dick, 'I will
manage the rest.'

"'But how can you carry him over such a rough beach?' asked Alfred.

"'I will get the boat from my grandfather,' replied Dick, 'and we can
row him round to the harbour, where the men can help us up to the house
with him.'

"'Oh yes, that will be the plan,' said Vea. 'Do run, like a good boy,
and get the boat; I am sure your grandfather will be very glad to lend
it to us, for Patrick was always a favourite with him.'

"'And I know somebody who is a greater favourite than even Master
Patrick,' replied Dick, smiling, before he hurried away towards his
grandfather's house.

"Very soon, though it seemed a long time to Vea, Dick was plainly seen
shoving out the boat from the shore, with the assistance of two boys,
who then jumped in and rowed it round as close to where Patrick lay as
they possibly could.

"Natilie had by this time managed to get Patrick up out of the sort of
hole he had fallen into, and by our united efforts we at last succeeded
in getting him into the boat, where we all helped to support him, as he
had fainted away again. It was considered advisable to row to Dick's
grandfather's house for the present; and accordingly the boat was
steered for a cove, up which the tide carried us.

[Illustration: FETCHING THE BOAT.]

"The hut where Dick's grandfather lived was a very poor one, built
mostly of turf, and thatched with rough bent or sea-grass. The
chimney-can was made with an old barrel, which stood the blast and
served better than an ordinary one would have done at such a stormy part
of the coast. One or two fishing-boats lay at the rough pier or jetty
old Dick had constructed, the men belonging to which were earnestly
engaged preparing their nets for going to sea that evening; while a
number of boys were busy sailing miniature boats in a small pool left by
the last tide. No sooner, however, did they hear the shouts of their
companions in our boat, than they left their sport, and hurried down to
lend a hand in pulling in the boat to a place of security.

"'Has grandfather come back from the town, Jack?' cried Dick to a
rough-looking boy, the tallest of them all, and who had carried hi