.

"He'd see us if we ran along the beach," said the cook.

"We can't run on shingle," said Sam; "and it don't seem much good just
gettin' there to see 'im find the cap'n, does it?"

"We must wait for an hoppertunity," said the cook.

Sam grunted.

"An' when it comes, seize it at once," continued the cook, who
disapproved of the grunt.

They kept on for some time steadily, though Sam complained bitterly
about the heat as he mopped his streaming brow.

"He's going down on to the beach," said the cook suddenly. "Make a spurt
for it, Sam, and we'll pass him."

The stout seaman responded to the best of his ability, and arriving at
the place where Dick had disappeared, flung himself down on the grass
and lay there panting. He was startled by a cry of surprise from the
cook.

"Come on, Sam," he said eagerly; "he's going in for a swim."

His friend moved to the edge of the cliff and looked over. A little heap
of clothing lay just below him, and Dick was striding over the sands to
the sea.

"Come on," repeated the cook impatiently; "we've got the start."

"I should laugh if somebody was to steal his clothes," said Sam
vindictively as he gazed at the garments.

"Be all right for us if they did," said the cook; "we'd have plenty o'
time to look around this 'ere Piggott's Bay then." He glanced at Sam as
he spoke, and read his horrible purpose in his eyes. "No, no!" he said
hastily.

"Not _steal_ 'em, cookie," said Sam seductively, "only bury 'em under the
shingle. I'll toss you who does it."

For sixty seconds the cook struggled gamely with the tempter.

"It's just a bit of a joke, cook," said Sam jovially. "Dick 'ud be the
first to laugh at it hisself if it was somebody else's clothes." He spun
a penny in the air, and covering it deftly, held it out to the cook.

"Heads!" said the latter softly.

"Tails!" said Sam cheerfully; "hurry up, cook."

The cook descended without a word, and hastily interring the clothes,
not without an uneasy glance seaward, scrambled up the cliff again and
rejoined his exultant accomplice. They set off in silence, keeping at
some distance from the edge of the cliff.

"Business is business," said the cook after a time, "and he wouldn't
join the syndikit."

"He was greedy, and wanted it all," said Sam with severity.

"P'raps it'll be a lesson to 'im," said the cook unctuously. "I took the
bearings of the place in case 'e don't find 'em. Some people wouldn't
ha' done that."