Mr. Graham explained.
"Bring your crew aboard, too," he added. "They might like to have a look round."
"That is precisely what we came for," said Mr. Armitage with a laugh. "We'd heard about the Wootton Bridge Sea Scouts' guardship, and we made up our minds to have a run across to inspect her. Our craft is the Olivette, and we hail from Milford-on-Sea. You say you met me before, eh? I'm afraid I cannot recollect the circumstances."
"You were very, very tired," explained Mr. Graham. "It was at Brightlingsea two years ago last May. One of your lads, Woodby——"
"Woodleigh," corrected Mr. Armitage.
"Yes, Woodleigh. I remember he brought the Olivette into Brightlingsea in a hard blow. You'd had rather a rough time in the Thames estuary. I happened to be at Brightlingsea at the time."
"Of course, I remember now," replied Mr. Armitage. "Two years ago! How time flies! Yes, I still have Woodleigh. He's a Patrol Leader now. Did you recollect Stratton? He's at sea, doing well."
Meanwhile the crews of the two vessels were fraternizing, and both craft were visited and inspected.
"She's a lump of a boat," declared Patrol Leader Woodleigh to his opposite number, Desmond. "It's a pity you can't go to sea in her. You miss a lot. We've been across to France, and as far west as Penzance. On Monday we're off to Plymouth."
"Yes," admitted Desmond. "I agree. A stationary guardship isn't like a sea-going boat, but still there's lots of fun to be got out of her. She's only lent us, as you know; but we're in luck. You see that yacht just astern of us? Her owner has given us a yacht almost as large as she."