this way to meet us. You'd better row round somewhere where we can land
and look for them."

"Give your orders," said Thomson. "You've had your day's fun, and
seemingly you're determined I should have my night's. Row away, mate."
And he and his man turned the boat's head and pulled out of the gulf.

"I say, Thomson, have you got any gwub or anything?" said Braintree
faintly.

"Grub," said the jocular coastguard. "What, harn't you found grub
enough on this here island? Anyhow, if you do want something you'd
better open that there bag and see what you can find."

Bowler was too anxious to discover the missing ones to feel much
appetite for food, and kept blowing his whistle as the boat slowly
coasted the island.

At length, to his unbounded joy, an answering shout was heard, and the
shadowy forms of the four outcasts were seen standing on the pier from
which they had started two hours before.

Jubilant were the welcomes exchanged as the heroes of New Swishford once
more counted their full number, and ensconced themselves snugly in the
stern of Thomson's boat round his wonderful bag of food.

It did not take long to chronicle the doings of Gayford's party. After
about half an hour's journey they had been pulled up by the same chasm
which had nearly proved too much for poor Tubbs. Finding it impossible
to cross it, they had turned inland, and for a cheerful hour lost their
way completely in the fog. At length, by means of walking in a straight
line, they had come again to the coast, and after much searching had
found the pier. And having found it, they resolved to keep it until the
other party completed the circuit and found them where it left them.

"And however did you find us out, Thomson?" inquired Gayford, after the
repast had been done ample justice to. "Did your boat come ashore?"

"No, she didn't, young gentleman; and I can tell you you'll get to know
how to spell her name tolerable well before you've heard the last of
her."

"Oh, of course we shall get into a frightful row," said Bowler; "but how
did you come to find us?"

"Why, one of you artful young scholards left a letter to his ma on his
table, open for everybody to see, talking some gammon about a West
Indian island, and saying you was going to lay hold of the Long Stork,
to get your hands in. I can tell you you _have_ got your hands in, my
beauties. There's a cart-load of birches been ordered for you at the
school already."

These