Not until the Puffin was well clear of the dangerous shoal did Peter receive the order, "Full ahead."
Round swung the yacht. Craddock watched with eager eyes to see what course the helmsman would take, until to his unspoken relief Peter saw that the Puffin was heading straight for Sablesham Harbour,
CHAPTER XIV
ON THE TRACK OF THE "PUFFIN"
At 10 p.m. Scoutmaster Grant and his seven Sea Scouts began their five-mile tramp to Sablesham. The rain was descending in torrents. Behind them were the sizzling embers of the Lydiard Scouts' camp-fire. The sing-song had been a tremendous success, and it was not until the guests had partaken of refreshment that the rain came on in earnest.
It took more than a torrential downpour to damp the spirits of the Sea Scouts. Their clothing was saturated. They had no oilskins with them. Water squelched in their shoes at every step. It was pitch-dark, and the road was almost ankle-deep in chalky mud. Yet they whistled blithely.
An hour and ten minutes later they were crossing the swing-bridge. From there it was impossible to see more than a couple of hundred yards. The furthermost of the gas lamps were blotted out in the watery atmosphere. "Nearly there!" exclaimed Mr. Grant. "Thank goodness we'll have a dry roof over our heads. Craddock will be wondering why we are late. I wonder if——"
He broke off abruptly.
The mast and riding-light of the Puffin ought by this time to be visible. They were not.