we
will be off the moment that we have taken our last sack on board. But I
will run into the office and say good-bye before I go."

The church clocks were just striking two when, Jack having duly
fulfilled his promise to say good-bye to his partner, and to exchange a
final word or two with him, the _Thetis_ cast off from the wharf, backed
out into the stream, and, swinging round, swept away down the river at
the modest rate of fourteen knots, that being her most economical speed,
and the pace at which, in order to make her coal last out, it had been
decided that she should cross the Atlantic. She sat very deep in the
water, and her decks, fore and aft, were packed with coal, in sacks so
closely stowed that there was only a narrow gangway left between them
from the foot of the ladder abaft the deck-house to the companion, and a
similar gangway from the fore end of the bridge deck to the forecastle.
If it was necessary for the men to pass to any other part of the ship,
such as to the ensign staff, for instance, they had to climb over the
sacks. She was particularly well equipped with boats, too: there were a
steam pinnace and a whaler in chocks on the starboard side of the deck-
house, balanced by the lifeboat and cutter on the other; and she carried
no less than four fine, wholesome boats at her davits aft, all nicely
covered over with canvas, to protect them from the sun--and also, in one
case, to screen from too curious eyes Jack's submarine, which was snugly
stowed away in the largest quarter boat, that craft having had her
thwarts removed to make room for the submarine. Twenty-six hours later,
namely, at four o'clock on the following afternoon, the _Thetis_
anchored off Boulogne; the steam pinnace was lowered, and Jack,
accompanied by four seamen, proceeded into the harbour, landing at the
steps near the railway station. From thence it was a very short walk to
the hotel to which he was bound; and in a few minutes he was at his
destination, enquiring for Monsieur Robinson. "Yes," he was informed,
"Monsieur Robeenson was in, and was expecting a Monsieur Singleton.
Possibly Monsieur might be the gentleman in question?" Jack confessed
that he was; and, being piloted upstairs, was presently shown into a
room where he found Don Hermoso Montijo and his son Carlos obviously
waiting for him. As he entered they both sprang to their feet and
advanced toward him with outstretched hands.

"Ah, Senor Singleton," exclaimed