"Anonymous, Mr. Goodman?"
"Yes, anonymous as usual, hang it all! I came up when I heard the firing. I see you've got the lugger, sir. Our scheme worked out to the letter."
"To the anonymous note, eh, Mr. Goodman? Well, we've good news for the admiral to-morrow. And as you've a good number of your men here, I'll go ashore and step up to the Grange. I want to see my cousin. Turley, where's Babbage?"
"Never seed him, sir, since he went overboard with the French skipper."
"Well, I must leave you in charge, then. The poor fellow's drowned, I fear."
"No, sir," shouted a voice from the beach.
"Who's that?"
"Me, sir, Babbage as was."
"All sound?"
"And fury, as brother Sol used to say. Me and the French skipper fell overboard together, me on top. He drownded hisself, sir, 'cos he wouldn't let go. When I come up, some o' they fellers bowled me over like a ninepin, and my senses was fair knocked out o' me. Next thing I knowed I heard you a-saying I were drownded, sir. Not so, nor never even seasick."