where breakfast was all ready awaiting their
arrival, the old Captain, while hurrying through the meal, found time to
chaff Nellie about this "rival collector," as he called the prowling
tramp when narrating all about the adventure that had detained them;
telling her she would have to look to her laurels, and gather up all the
odds and ends she could find, on the beach, or else this gentleman, who
had displayed such zeal that morning in trying to add to his collection,
would certainly outvie hers.

"Now, children," said Mrs Gilmour, when breakfast and chaff had both
come to an end, repeating the Captain's favourite word of command, "Look
sharp!"

Her preparations had all been made beforehand; and without losing
another moment, she and the Captain, with Bob and Nellie behind them,
started off, Dick, who had been taken care of meanwhile by Sarah in the
kitchen, bringing up the rear with a substantial-looking hamper on his
shoulder.

Almost breathless, alike from excitement and their rapid pace, they made
their way seawards, to where the _Bembridge Belle_ was blowing off her
steam alongside the pier, sounding her whistle to tell belated
passengers like themselves that they had better put their best foot
foremost if they wished to reach her in time.

"All aboard?" inquired the captain of the steamer from his post on the
port paddle-box, hailing the porter of the pier ashore, when they, the
very last of the late-comers, had scrambled across the gangway; and the
porter having signified that no one now was in sight, the blue-capped
gentleman standing on the paddle-box touched the engine-room telegraph,
and gave the signal to "Go ahead!"

In another minute, the fore and aft hawsers that had previously made her
fast to the pier were cast-off, and her paddles began to revolve with a
heavy splashing sound, like that of flails in a farmyard threshing out
the grain.

"Starboard!" sang out her skipper, now mounting from the paddle-box to
the bridge above. "Hard over, my man!"

"Starboard it is, sir," replied the helmsman, rapidly twirling the
spokes of the wheel as he spoke. "It's right over, sir."

"Steady!" now sang out the skipper, meaning that the vessel's head had
been sufficiently turned in the direction he desired. "Steady; keep her
so."

"Steady it is, sir," repeated the man at the wheel like a parrot, to
show that the order had been understood and acted upon. "Steady it is."

"Port a trifle now."

"Aye, a