ely was spare of frame and sallow
of complexion, Chichester possessed the frame, stature, and colouring of
a young Viking, being already within a quarter of an inch of six feet
two inches in height, although he had by no means done growing, broad in
proportion, with eyes of steel blue, and a shock of curly hair which his
friends would in these latter days have called auburn, while his
enemies--if he had possessed any--would have tersely described it as
"carrots". In temperament, too, Chichester was the very antithesis of
Stukely, for he was absolutely unimaginative and matter-of-fact.
Perhaps his occupation may have had something to do with this; for he
was apprenticed to a shipwright, and delighted in his work. He was also
an orphan; his nearest relative being his uncle Michael Chichester, a
merchant of Plymouth, who had adopted him upon the death of his parents,
and with whom he now lived.

Not much was said as the strangely assorted pair strode along side by
side on their way to the water, for both of them loved boats, and
sailing, and all that pertained to the sea life, and both were equally
eager to get afloat as quickly as possible, so as not to waste
unnecessarily a moment of that glorious evening. At last, however, as
Dick turned unexpectedly into a narrow side alley, Stukely pulled up
short with:

"Hillo, Master Dick! whither away, my lad? This is not the way to the
spot where our boat is moored."

"No," answered Dick, "it is not, I know. But we are not going to take
our own boat to-night, Phil; we are going to take Gramfer Heard's
lugger. Gramfer is to Tavistock to-night; and he told me this morning
that I might use the lugger whenever I pleased, if he did not want her
himself. We'll have something like a sail to-night, Phil, for there is
enough wind blowing to just suit the lugger, while it and the sea would
be rather too much for our own boat."

So saying, Chichester led the way down the alley, and halted at a door
in the wall, nearly at its farthest extremity. Then, drawing a key from
his pocket, he unlocked the door, flung it open, and Stukely found
himself looking in upon Gramfer Heard's shipyard, the scene of Dick
Chichester's daily labours. He gazed, for a few seconds, with
appreciative eyes at the forms of three goodly hulls in varying stages
of progress, inhaled with keen enjoyment the mingled odours of pine
chips and Stockholm tar, and then hurried after Dick, who was already
busily eng