and I walked out in the afternoon, sauntering slowly along
the margin of the great, sandy spit which shoots out into the Irish Sea,
flanking upon one side the magnificent Bay of Luce, and on the other the
more obscure inlet of Kirkmaiden, on the shores of which the Branksome
property is situated.

It was too sultry to go far, so we soon seated ourselves upon one of the
sandy hillocks, overgrown with faded grass-tufts, which extend along the
coast-line, and which form Nature's dykes against the encroachments of
the ocean.

Our rest was soon interrupted by the scrunching of heavy boots upon the
shingle, and Jamieson, the old man-o'-war's man whom I have already had
occasion to mention, made his appearance, with the flat, circular net
upon his back which he used for shrimp-catching. He came towards us upon
seeing us, and said in his rough, kindly way that he hoped we would
not take it amiss if he sent us up a dish of shrimps for our tea at
Branksome.

"I aye make a good catch before a storm," he remarked.

"You think there is going to be a storm, then?" I asked.

"Why, even a marine could see that," he answered, sticking a great wedge
of tobacco into his cheek. "The moors over near Cloomber are just white
wi' gulls and kittiewakes. What d'ye think they come ashore for except
to escape having all the feathers blown out o' them? I mind a day like
this when I was wi' Charlie Napier off Cronstadt. It well-nigh blew us
under the guns of the forts, for all our engines and propellers."

"Have you ever known a wreck in these parts?" I asked.

"Lord love ye, sir, it's a famous place for wrecks. Why, in that very
bay down there two o' King Philip's first-rates foundered wi' all hands
in the days o' the Spanish war. If that sheet o' water and the Bay o'
Luce round the corner could tell their ain tale they'd have a gey lot
to speak of. When the Jedgment Day comes round that water will be
just bubbling wi' the number o' folks that will be coming up frae the
bottom."

"I trust that there will be no wrecks while we are here," said Esther
earnestly.

The old man shook his grizzled head and looked distrustfully at the hazy
horizon.

"If it blows from the west," he said, "some o' these sailing ships may
find it no joke to be caught without sea-room in the North Channel.
There's that barque out yonder--I daresay her maister would be glad
enough to find himsel' safe in the Clyde."

"She seems to be absolutely motionless," I rema