now sunk in the
soft sand. He assured them that there was not the slightest danger; the
vessel was uninjured; we were ashore on a yielding and shelving beach;
and that, if they would remain perfectly quiet, and obey orders, he had
some hope that he might get the vessel afloat again.

There was a general move aft, and although signs of distress, and even
of terror, were not wanting on some faces, the people gathered quietly
enough into one solid mass. We three stood on the outer edge of the
company. Syd and I were considerably excited, but John was as calm as a
man could be. With tremendous uproar the reversed paddles began to churn
the shallow water, but not an inch did we move.

The captain stepped to the binnacle, and read the compass-card. A swift
change passed over his face; in mingled surprise and anger he pointed
within the binnacle, and began to question the man at the wheel; but he
was more surprised than the captain--so utterly amazed, in fact, that he
could not be angry, and only protested that he had kept the vessel true
to the course which had been given him, and could not explain why the
card had veered three to four points farther westward since the vessel
had touched the ground. It was no use contending about the matter then.
The paddles began to throw up the sand as well as the water, and the
captain saw that the vessel would have to remain where she was until the
next tide.

"We are fast, sure 'nough," sang out the captain. "You had better gather
your traps together, and prepare to leave the vessel. There will be
conveyances in the villages to take you to Penzance."

The company dispersed and scattered about the boat, merrily collecting
their belongings now that they knew the worst, and that the worst was
not very bad after all. We rejoined the captain.

"What's the name of this new port of discharge?" asked John.

"Not port, but Porth," answered the captain grimly, for it was no
laughing matter to him. "Porth Curnow. And you may thank your stars that
we have run clear in upon the sand, and not a few furlongs south or
north, for then we should have been laid up either under Tol-Pedn or
beneath the Logan Rock."

"I can follow your location admirably, cap.," said John. "We are eight
or nine miles from Penzance--is not that so? Yes!" as the captain
nodded gloomily; "and Porth Curnow is the place where the submarine
telegraph chaps live. But, I say, why did you bring us here? We booked
for Penzance