, that if you were in proper training, I should be no
match for you, even with the oar."

"What made you stop just then?" inquired Oaklands; "I'm sure I could
have kept on for a quarter of an hour longer, if not more."

"So could I," replied Lawless, "ay, or for half an hour, if I had been
put to it; but I felt the work was beginning to tell, I saw you were
getting used up, and I recollected that we should have to row back with
the wind against us, which, as the breeze is freshening, will be no such
easy matter; so I thought if we went on till we were both done up we
should be in a regular fix."

"It's lucky you remembered it," said Oaklands; "I was so excited, I
should have gone on pulling as long as I could have held an oar; we
must be some distance from Helmstone by this time. Have you any idea
whereabouts we are?"

"Let's have a look," rejoined Lawless. "Yes, that tall cliff you see
there is the Nag's Head, and in the little bay ~99~~beyond stands the
village of Fisherton. I vote we go ashore there, have some bread and
cheese, and a draught of porter at the inn, and then we shall be able to
pull back again twice as well."

This proposal seemed to afford general satisfaction; Mullins and
I resumed our oars, and, in less than half an hour, we were safely
ensconced in the sanded parlour of the Dolphin, while the pretty
bar-maid, upon whom also devolved the duties of waitress, hastened to
place before us a smoking dish of eggs and bacon, which we had chosen
in preference to red herrings--the only other dainty the Dolphin had
to offer us--Coleman observing that a "hard roe" was the only part of a
herring worth eating, and we had had that already, as we came along.

"I say, my dear, have you got any bottled porter?" inquired Lawless.

"Yes, sir, and very good it is," replied the smiling damsel.

"That's a blessing," observed Coleman, piously.

"Bring us up a lot of it, my beauty," resumed Lawless, "and some pewter
pots--porter's twice as good out of its own native pewter."

Thus exhorted, the blooming waitress tripped off, and soon returned with
a basket containing six bottles of porter.

"That's the time of day," said Lawless; "now for a corkscrew, pretty
one; here you are, Oaklands."

"I must own that is capital, after such hard work as we have been
doing," observed Oaklands, as he emptied the pewter pot at a draught.

"I say, Mary," asked Coleman, "what's gone of that young man that used
to keep company