heap?" said my father.

"That one, sir," said Bob, pointing towards the west.

"Impossible!" cried my father, and then he stopped and waited, while
Bigley, who had, by getting on my back and shoulders, managed to climb
up the highest part of the mass which stood like an island out of the
stones and sand, shaded his eyes with his hand, and looked all round.

It was so still that the lapping of the evening tide sounded quite loud,
and the querulous call of a gull that swept by was quite startling.

"Well," said my father, "can you see the boat? No no, don't look out
there, my lad, look in here close."

"She isn't in here close," said Bigley quietly.

"She must be, Big," cried Bob. "Here, let me come."

"I see her!" cried Bigley just then. "No. Yes. There she is, sir!" he
said, pointing to the east. "She's broke adrift, and is floating yonder
half a mile away towards the Gap."

"Tut, tut, tut!" ejaculated my father. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir," said Bigley, "I'm quite sure. I was quite sure before that
we left her where we looked first, but I didn't like to say so."

"Here, give me your hand," said my father. "You, Sep, let me try and
get up over you. Bob Chowne, you had better stand by him to strengthen
him. I'm heavy. Reach down, Bigley, and give me your hand."

My father was active enough, and with our help scrambled up on to the
top of the rock, where he gave one glance at the speck Bigley pointed
out, and then uttered an impatient ejaculation.

"Come down," he said. "You're quite right, my lad. But how can that
boat have got away? The grapnel was good."

"I'm afraid I know," said Bigley sadly. "I don't think anyone looked to
see if the painter was made fast to the ring. I didn't."

"And as I'm an old sailor, who ought to have known better, I confess
that I did not," said my father. "Well, boys, it's of no use to cry
over spilt milk. If the boat is not recovered unhurt, Mr Jonas
Uggleston will have a new one, and I must apologise for my carelessness.
Now, then, we must walk home."

Bigley looked at him in rather a curious way; and as I divined what he
meant I glanced at the two points which projected and formed the bay,
and saw that they were being swept by the waves to such an extent that
it would have been madness to attempt to get round either wading or
swimming.

"Yes," said my father, speaking as if someone had made this remark to
him, "it would be impossible to get round ther