them out when they had been in about twenty minutes; and as soon as they
were dressed, the collecting of specimens went on. At the mouth of one
little inlet they found a dead puffin--a singular little bird that makes
its home on the rocky shores further north, and remarkable for its
curious wedge-shaped bill, looking like the point of an old Roman sword,
and to all appearance a rather formidable weapon. There were plenty of
gulls and kittywakes running about at the edge of the waves, picking up
the little insects and small crustaceans that abounded upon the sands.
Fred here made further acquaintance with the little hermit crab, and saw
how it protected itself, and chose its habitation from amongst the empty
shells upon the beach; and when it had found one that it considered a
good fit, thrust in its little tail, and dwelt there until it grew too
confined for it.

Numberless were the objects of interest to be seen all along the coast,
and pleasant was the ramble the party enjoyed until it grew towards the
hour for returning, when they walked back to the opening in the
sand-bank, so as to reach the inn and get the horse and car ready for
starting. The tide was now nearly at its height, and a brisk evening
breeze had commenced blowing, so that, as the tide rolled in, the
breakers began to be of a tolerable size. There were several people,
old and young, enjoying an evening bath; and, after ordering the car to
be got ready, Mr Inglis and the boys strolled back and watched the
waves come tumbling in upon the beach or rush up the opening that led
into the great land-drain--an opening that was staked on each side in
the shape of a cage-work tunnel, and ran down for some distance into the
sea on the one hand, and right under the great sea-bank on the other.

Just as the party were turning to leave the shore, a piercing cry rose
from off the water, and then another, and another, evidently proceeding
from some one in distress.

A moment's glance served to show Mr Inglis that the cry proceeded from
one of the bathers, and, in company with many more people, he ran down
to the water's edge, when he could see that a boy was battling with the
waves, his head just above water, and crying for help in the most
heartrending tones. People were running about wringing their hands,
while those who had been bathing were huddling on their clothes, and
others, again, had gone to seek for a boat; but it was very plain that,
if assistance w