der His protection, and bring us safely
home again. Soon afterwards we were rattling away to Waterloo Station,
with our traps, including our still blank journals, our sketch-books,
fishing-rods, our guns, several works on natural history, bottles and
boxes for specimens, spy-glasses, and lots of other things.

Papa laughed when he saw them. "It would not do if we were going to
join a man-of-war; but we have room to stow away a good number of things
on board the Lively, although she is little more than thirty-five tons
burden."

In a quarter of an hour the train started for Southampton; and away we
flew, the heat and the dust increasing our eagerness to feel the fresh
sea-breezes.

"Although the Lively can show a fast pair of heels, we cannot go quite
so fast as this," said papa, as he remarked the speed at which we dashed
by the telegraph posts.

On reaching the station at Southampton, we found Paul Truck, the
sailing-master of the cutter, or the captain, as he liked to be called,
waiting for us, with two of the crew, who had come up to assist in
carrying our traps down to the quay. There was the boat, her crew in
blue shirts, and hats on which was the name of the yacht. The men, who
had the oars upright in their hands while waiting, when we embarked let
the blades drop on the water in smart man-of-war style; and away we
pulled for the yacht, which lay some distance off the quay.

"I think I shall know her again," cried Oliver: "that's her, I'm
certain."

Paul, who was pulling the stroke oar, cast a glance over his shoulder,
and shaking his head with a knowing look, observed:

"No, no, Master Oliver; that's a good deal bigger craft than ours.
She's ninety ton at least. You must give another guess."

"That's the Lively, though," I cried out; "I know her by her beauty and
the way she sits on the water."

"You're right, Master Harry. Lively is her name, and lively is her
nature, and beautiful she is to look at. I'll be bound we shall not
fall in with a prettier craft--a finer boat for her size."

Paul's encomiums were not undeserved by the yacht; she was everything he
said; we thought so, at all events. It was with no little pride that we
stepped on deck.

Papa had the after-cabin fitted up for Oliver and me, and he himself had
a state cabin abaft the forecastle. There were besides four open berths
in which beds could be made up on both sides of the main cabin. The
forecastle was large and airy, wit