anwhile a little explanation was going on between the skipper and
Uncle Paul.

"Don't want to be bumptious, sir," said the former, "but there's only
room on board a craft for one captain. Those fellows jump at any chance
to get ashore, and when they are there, there's no knowing when you'll
get them on board again, besides which, they wouldn't be careful, and
French and English don't get on very well together after all that's gone
by. Here, Cross, tell that jabbering Frenchman if he isn't off, he'll
have to go back with a hole through the bottom of his boat. No, stop.
Go and find Mr Craig. Tell him to set those six men something to do."

"Ay, ay, sir!" cried the sailor, hurrying off.

"There, it was all my fault, captain," said Uncle Paul, smiling. "I
won't offend again. Here, Rodd, my boy, give that poor fellow a
shilling for his trouble."

Rodd hurried to the side, hailed the man, and held out the coin, telling
him in very bad French what it was for; but the fellow shook his head,
held up four fingers, and began shouting "_Quatre_!" so loudly that the
skipper heard.

"Cat, indeed!" he shouted. "Just what I should like to give him. Here,
come away, Mr Rodd; he shan't have anything now."

But Rodd did not obey at once.

"One or nothing," he cried to the man, in French.

"_Quatre! Quatre_!" shouted the man.

Rodd shook his head and was turning away, but the boatman swarmed up the
side, and reaching over the rail, shouted "_Quatre_!" again, till the
skipper made so fierce a rush at him that he lowered his feet quickly
down into his boat, catching the shilling that Rodd pitched to him, and
then hurriedly pushing off for the landing-place.

"Oh, it's all right, Dr Robson," said the skipper, "only you must leave
all this shore-going to me. I know my lads; you don't."

Just then Craig, the mate, came up on deck, looking very sour at having
been awakened from a comfortable sleep, and did not scruple about
setting the delinquents to work upon some very unnecessary task, to the
great delight of their messmates, who, headed by Joe Cross, gave them
pretty freely to understand what their opinion was of the scheme to get
a run ashore.

It was towards evening that, after a hasty meal, partaken of in peace in
the still waters of the harbour, tempted by a few gleams of sunshine,
and for Rodd's gratification, Uncle Paul and Rodd were rowed ashore in
the same boat as the skipper, who had business with the English