with the boat containing his friends,
apparently mistrusting the frail craft, and preferring to rely upon his
own powers in the water.

Nor was he far behind, getting to land almost at the same moment that
the wherry's keel grated on the beach; when, after shaking himself
decorously as he had been taught, so as to avoid wetting his friends by
his excessive moisture, Rover barked and pranced round Hellyer and the
hamper, and then round Bob and Nellie, as if to say in his dog
language-- "There, my dear young master and mistress, I have discharged
my trust faithfully," scurrying off then to the higher part of the
shore, where Mrs Gilmour and the Captain were standing, to tell them
the same tale, with a loud "Bow wow!"

"Come now," cried Mrs Gilmour, on the little party being reunited
again, "we must be off home at once; for, it is getting late, and Sarah
will be wondering where we all are."

"Well, we mustn't keep `the good Sarah' waiting," said the Captain
slily, with a wink to Nellie that set her off laughing so that she
dropped the bunch of wild-flowers which her aunt was just handing her at
the moment, and was obliged to stop to pick them up. "By Jove! though,
ma'am, she may have forgotten _us_ as she did the other things."

"You're too bad entirely!" exclaimed Mrs Gilmour a little pettishly.
"I suppose I shall never hear the last about that, nor poor Sarah
either. Come on now, dearie; we must hasten home whether or no."

So saying, she made the Captain wheel round from taking a last lingering
look at the _Bembridge Belle_, whose skipper, now that she was a bit
lightened aft by all the people having cleared out of her, had backed
again into deep water; and then putting on full steam ahead, was trying
to run her up high and dry ashore.

After this parting glance at the poor vessel, our party proceeded on
their way across the common back to The Moorings, Miss Nell, as
aforesaid, carrying the bouquet of wild-flowers, and Bob the tin bucket
of sea-anemones, their "spoil" of the day, in sporting parlance; while
Hellyer and Dick brought up the rear of the procession with the hamper
and empty water-jar, representing the relics of their picnic feast.

Rover on this occasion, it may be added, acted anon as pioneer of the
column when he caracoled for awhile in front of them all; anon as
baggage-guard, when he followed at the heels of Hellyer, sniffing the
empty hamper.

Poor Sarah, "that good Sarah" whom Mrs Gilmour