d Tom Jecks chuckled. "But it
do, sir," he said. "I once had a night on one o' the Suffolk heaths
with the gipsies; I was a boy then, and we had hare for supper--two
hares, and they was cooked just like that, made into clay balls without
skinning on 'em first."

"But I thought they always skinned hares," I said, "because the fur was
useful."

"So it is, sir; but there was gamekeepers in that neighbourhood, and if
they'd found the gipsies with those skins, they'd have asked 'em where
the hares come from, and that might have been unpleasant."

"Poached, eh?"

"I didn't ask no questions, sir. And when the hares was done, they
rolled the red-hot clay out, gave it a tap, and it cracked from end to
end, an' come off like a shell with the skin on it, and leaving the
hares all smoking hot. I never ate anything so good before in my life."

"Yah! These here geese 'll be a sight better, Tommy," said one of the
men. "I want to see 'em done."

"And all I'm skeart about," said another, "is that the _Teaser_ 'll come
back 'fore we've picked the bones."

I walked slowly away to join Mr Brooke, for the men's words set me
thinking about the gunboat, and the way in which she had sailed and left
us among these people. But I felt that there must have been good cause
for it, or Captain Thwaites would never have gone off so suddenly.

"Gone in chase of some of the scoundrels," I thought; and then I began
to think about Mr Reardon and Barkins and Smith. "Poor old Tanner," I
said to myself, "he wouldn't have been so disagreeable if it had not
been for old Smith. Tanner felt ashamed of it all the time. But what a
game for them to be plotting to get me into difficulties, and then find
that I was picked out for this expedition! I wish they were both here."

For I felt no animosity about Smith, and as for Tanner I should have
felt delighted to have him there to join our picnic dinner.

I suppose I had a bad temper, but it never lasted long, and after a
quarrel at school it was all over in five minutes, and almost forgotten.

I was so deep in thought that I came suddenly upon Mr Brooke, seated
near where the men were keeping their look-out. He was carefully
scanning the horizon, but looked up at me as I stopped short after
nearly kicking against him.

"Any sign of the _Teaser_ sir?" I said.

"No, Herrick. I've been trying very hard to make her out, but there is
no smoke anywhere."

"Oh, she'll come, sir, if we wait. W