lose to the water's edge, a quarter of a mile farther on,
where it stood up in the midst of a clump of smaller ones, the beach
around being tolerably level for some distance.

"That's where old Binnacle always goes when he wants to find a lobster,"
said Bigley; "and I shouldn't wonder if we get one, for he hasn't been
there lately."

"How do you know?" I said.

"Because he hasn't sold one, nor given us one, nor had one himself."

"There, hark at him!" cried Bob. "How can you tell?"

"Easy enough."

"But how?"

"Haven't lobsters got shells?"

"Yes."

"And aren't they red?"

"Why, of course they are."

"Well, don't they always throw the shells out on the heap by the
pig-sty?" cried Bigley. "And there hasn't been one there since I came
home. Old Bill has been too busy making a new net to go lobstering."

"I say, what a day for a bathe!" cried Bob suddenly, as we approached
the big rock which formed out here a point, from which a series of
smaller rocks ran right to sea, for the heads of some were level with
the surface, and others only appeared at times.

"Why, you couldn't bathe here," said Big; "you ought to know that."

"Why not?" cried Bob.

"Because the tide hits against those rocks, and then runs right out to
sea like the river runs down the Gap after a storm."

"Oh, I don't believe all these old stories," cried Bob contemptuously;
"and suppose it did run out, couldn't I swim out of the stream and come
ashore?"

"No."

"Oh, couldn't I? Precious soon let you see."

"Hi! Look there," cried Bigley, "there's father's boat."

"Where?" I said.

"Out yonder. He has been with Binnacle Bill to Swincombe, and that's
them coming back."

"Why, you can't see anything but a bit of sail," cried Bob scoffingly,
as he shaded his eyes and looked far-off into the west.

"No, but I know the shape of it," cried Bigley. "There isn't another
boat hereabouts with a sail like that."

"I don't believe you know it," cried Bob. "It's a Frenchman, or a
Dutchman, or a Welsh boat."

"Well, you'll see," said Bigley decisively, and the matter dropped, for
we were close up to the big rock now, a mass that stood about a dozen
feet above the beach, and to our great delight there were several little
pools about, all of which seemed to be well occupied by the toothsome
delicacies we sought.

The baskets were set down and we were soon hard at work catching prawn
after prawn; but, though we peered into every cr