“Quite right,” was the Captain’s comment on this. “There are a lot of light-fingered gentry about here, whom it is just as well to be on guard against. When will it be flood-tide to-night, Hellyer, eh?”
“Nigh upon nine o’clock, sir,” answered he. “Just afore the moon rises.”
“Humph!” muttered Captain Dresser, as if cogitating the matter and speaking his thoughts aloud. “I think I’ll come down then. The sea seems inclined to get up a bit?”
He raised his voice when uttering the last words, as if asking a question; so, the coastguardsman answered it at once.
“That it do, sir,” he said with decision; “and, if the wind freshen more, as is more’n likely, considerin’ it’s been backin’ all the mornin’, I ’spects it’ll be pretty rough by night-time!”
“Ah, well, so I think, too, Hellyer. Good-day to you, my man; I will come down again this evening when the tide makes. I fancy she’ll break up then. Come on, boys!” sang out the old sailor in a higher key to Bob and Dick, who had been amusing themselves by trying to walk round the hull of the stranded steamer, now nearly high and dry on the beach; although the venturesome fellows had to clamber over all sorts of obstacles in the way of chain-cables and hawsers and other gear, besides wading through various pools of water to seaward, before they could congratulate themselves on effecting their object. “Come on now, my boys! There’s nothing more to see at present; and I’ve promised Miss Nell to help her put those actinea we got yesterday at Seaview into her new aquarium.”
“But, you will come down again with us to see the wreck, won’t you?” eagerly asked Bob, running after the Captain, who on giving this explanation of his desire of not wasting any more time on the beach just then, had started off already on his way back to the south parade, and was hobbling off at a fine rate across the common. “I do so want to see the poor vessel once more before they take her away, Captain!”
“Humph!” grunted out the old sailor as he puffed and panted onward like a steam-engine, turning the services of his trusty old malacca cane to good account. “I don’t think, my boy, you need have any fear on that score. The only shape in which she’s likely to be taken away from her present berth will be—in pieces!”
“By Jove, ma’am!” he exclaimed later on, when Mrs Gilmour and Nell met him at the gate of “the Moorings,” “I might just as well board with you at once. Dined with you on Monday, to lunch Tuesday; at breakfast yesterday, and again this morning. Why, I’ll eat you out of house and home!”
“Never fear, Captain,” said Mrs Gilmour smiling. “Sure, I’ll take the risk of that.”