her."

"Quite right," was the Captain's comment on this. "There are a lot of
light-fingered gentry about here, whom it is just as well to be on guard
against. When will it be flood-tide to-night, Hellyer, eh?"

"Nigh upon nine o'clock, sir," answered he. "Just afore the moon
rises."

"Humph!" muttered Captain Dresser, as if cogitating the matter and
speaking his thoughts aloud. "I think I'll come down then. The sea
seems inclined to get up a bit?"

He raised his voice when uttering the last words, as if asking a
question; so, the coastguardsman answered it at once.

"That it do, sir," he said with decision; "and, if the wind freshen
more, as is more'n likely, considerin' it's been backin' all the
mornin', I 'spects it'll be pretty rough by night-time!"

"Ah, well, so I think, too, Hellyer. Good-day to you, my man; I will
come down again this evening when the tide makes. I fancy she'll break
up then. Come on, boys!" sang out the old sailor in a higher key to Bob
and Dick, who had been amusing themselves by trying to walk round the
hull of the stranded steamer, now nearly high and dry on the beach;
although the venturesome fellows had to clamber over all sorts of
obstacles in the way of chain-cables and hawsers and other gear, besides
wading through various pools of water to seaward, before they could
congratulate themselves on effecting their object. "Come on now, my
boys! There's nothing more to see at present; and I've promised Miss
Nell to help her put those actinea we got yesterday at Seaview into her
new aquarium."

"But, you will come down again with us to see the wreck, won't you?"
eagerly asked Bob, running after the Captain, who on giving this
explanation of his desire of not wasting any more time on the beach just
then, had started off already on his way back to the south parade, and
was hobbling off at a fine rate across the common. "I do so want to see
the poor vessel once more before they take her away, Captain!"

"Humph!" grunted out the old sailor as he puffed and panted onward like
a steam-engine, turning the services of his trusty old malacca cane to
good account. "I don't think, my boy, you need have any fear on that
score. The only shape in which she's likely to be taken away from her
present berth will be--in pieces!"

"By Jove, ma'am!" he exclaimed later on, when Mrs Gilmour and Nell met
him at the gate of "the Moorings," "I might just as well board with you
at once. Dined w