"There's a bridge right ahead of us, sir," reported Rayburn. "Shall we have to lower our mast to go under it?"
"How high is our mast?" asked the Scoutmaster gravely.
"Twenty-five feet, sir," replied Rayburn promptly.
"We may just do it, then," rejoined Mr. Armitage. "You needn't bother about unshackling the forestay just yet. Wait and see what the clearance of the bridge looks like when we get a bit nearer."
A couple of minutes later Rayburn came aft again. "I think we'll just manage it, sir," he reported.
"Very well; carry on," was the response.
It was not long before the two miles of river below the bridge were covered, and when the Olivette glided serenely under one of the wide and massive spans Rayburn positively blushed. What he had taken to be a low bridge was in reality the famous Saltash Bridge, with a clearance of a hundred feet.
"That's one up against you, Rayburn!" exclaimed Hepburn, and in the general laugh the embarrassed Sea Scout went below.
"Ease her down, Flemming," suggested Mr. Armitage. "We're getting into an intricate waterway, and if we touch with a lot of way on we may do ourselves damage."
Above Saltash Bridge the Tamar contracts considerably. What it loses in breadth it gains in scenery, for on either side high ground crowned with trees made a picturesque setting to the tidal estuary.