ted.

Later in the afternoon Dave began to inspect his watch every two or
three minutes.

"No need for us to worry, with Dave's eye glued to his watch," laughed
Dan.

"Come on, fellows," summoned Darrin finally. "We haven't more than time
now to make the dock and get back to supper formation."

"Take a cab?" asked Farley. "You know, we've found that they're vastly
cheaper than American cabs."

"No-o-o, not for me," decided Dave. "We'll need the rest of our shore
money to-morrow, and our legs are good and sturdy."

Yet even careful Dave, as it turned out, had allowed no more than time.
The chums reached the dock in time to see the launches half way between
the fleet and shore. Some forty other midshipmen stood waiting on the
dock.

Among these were Pennington and his party, all looking highly satisfied
with their day's sport, as indeed they were.

Pennington's eyes gleamed when he caught sight of Darrin, Dalzell and
Farley--for Pen had a scheme of his own in mind.

Not far from Pennington stood a little Englishman with keen eyes and a
jovial face. Pen stepped over to him.

"There are the three midshipmen I was telling you about," whispered
Pennington, slipping a half sovereign into the Englishman's hand. "You
thoroughly understand your part in the joke, don't you?"

"Don't h'I, though--just, sir!" laughed the undersized Englishman, and
strolled away.

Darrin and his friends were soon informed by classmates that the
launches now making shore-ward were coming in on their last trip for
midshipmen.

"Well, we're here in plenty of time," sighed Dave contentedly.

"Oh, I knew we'd be, with you holding the watch," laughed Dan in his
satisfied way.

As the three stood apart they were joined by the undersized Englishman,
who touched his hat to them with a show of great respect.

"Young gentlemen," he inquired, "h'I suppose, h'of course, you've 'ad a
look h'at the anchor h'of Sir Francis Drake's flagship, the time 'e went
h'out h'and sank the great Spanish h'Armada?"

"Why, no, my friend," replied Dave, looking at the man with interest.
"Is that here at Plymouth?"

"H'assuredly, sir. H'and h'only a minute's walk h'over to that shed
yonder, sir. H'if you'll come with me, young gentlemen, h'I'll show h'it
to you. H'it's one of h'our biggest sights, h'and it's in me own
custody, at present. Come this way, young gentlemen."

"That sounds like something worth seeing," declared Dave to his
comrades. "Come along