le like a
million diamonds scattered on a great stretch of blue, blue satin. The
tide was very far out, leaving a golden stretch of sand that simply
asked to be tunnelled into and dug into holes and trenches and castles.
The Cubs all got into their bathing-costumes (the Cubs' "costumes" were
_mostly_ bare Cub!), and spent the whole morning burrowing like moles
into the sand, and getting cool in the sea when they felt like it. Akela
tried to write something "very important," but the Cubs didn't seem to
think it nearly as important as Akela did, and not much writing got
done.

After dinner and rest, when the tide had come up, like a great green
monster swallowing up the shore, and clutching with foamy fingers at the
rocks, Akela hired a boat and took half the Cubs at a time for a row,
while the other half ran along the shore ready to scramble in, when
their turn came.

The wind had got up, and out to sea there were no end of "white horses"
shaking their manes and galloping after each other. Do you know what
"white horses" are? They are the white crests of the waves that break
out all over the sea on windy days. Some of the "white horses" came
galloping close in to shore, and the Cubs had a very exciting time
landing to give the others a turn. This is how they did it. One large
Cub rolled up his shorts as far as they would go, and stood ready in the
bow. Akela then turned the boat shorewards suddenly, and pulled at the
oars for dear life, and all the Cubs helped by cheering.
"Crash--scrunch," the boat went ashore; the Cub in the bow leapt out,
and held her nose steady while everyone else scrambled out. A few
"white horses" jumped over the stern and made things a bit wet, but
nobody minded. In scrambled the next boatful of Cubs, and, with a good
shove, the boat was out again.

A very little make-believe and you were lifeboat-men landing survivors
from a wreck.

There was to be a long and _very exciting_ story to-night, so the Cubs
bustled down to the Stable extra early, and were undressed before you
could say "Jack Robinson." In fact, Terry began to undress in the
street, and was out in the Stable-yard in his night-shirt before Akela
and the last Cub had got through the gate.

"Tell us a long, long, long one," begged the Cubs; "we aren't a bit
sleepy. Let it last till midnight."

"I'll tell as long as the candle lasts," said Akela, sticking a stump of
candle on the ledge.

The Cubs curled up, and the candle-light