"Oh, see the boatman, and ask him if he knows where the Osprey is lying now. She was over there when I left her."
"Oh, she may have been in half a dozen places since then; but one of those fellows over there is sure to know where she is to be found." And as he spoke, he pointed to a group of boatmen, and then ran across to where they were standing, slowly followed by Eric.
The bargain had been made when he joined them, and his friend said; "You're all right now; she lies a little way out, ready for sailing, but this man can take you to her." And with that, he nodded and left Eric to get into the boat by himself, while he returned to The Bell by a much shorter route than that by which he had come.
The tide was running into the harbour, and it was hard work and took a long time to go to the outer side of it, but a vessel was reached at last, and the man said, "Here we are; this is your ship."
"But I don't think this is the Osprey," said Eric, looking up at the vessel that was near them.
"The Osprey!" repeated the boatman. "You said you wanted the Dolphin, and here she is."
"Oh, but this is not the ship I want; my friend must have made a mistake," said Eric, looking all round, in the hope of seeing the vessel he thought he should know so well.
The man looked at him very hard. "Do you know what ship you do want?" he said crossly.
"Yes, the Osprey; I am quite sure of the name, and I thought my friend had told you."
"You're a fool, or your friend is, to come on a wild goose chase like this. You'll have to pay me for the time, I can tell you. Do you know where the Osprey lies?" called the boatman to one of the sailors who looked over the side of the Dolphin at this moment. There was no mistake about her name, there it was painted as plainly as paint could make the letters.