suspicion, lad. Only keep quiet here, and do yer dooty--`England
expects _every_ man to do his dooty'--and as sure as your name's Ruby
all will be shipshape in a few weeks."

"I thank you sincerely," said Ruby, addressing the major, but looking at
Minnie.

Captain Ogilvy, observing this, and fearing some display of feeling that
would be recognised by the workmen, who were becoming surprised at the
length of the interview, placed himself between Minnie and her lover.

"No, no, Ruby," said he, solemnly. "I'm sorry for ye, lad, but it won't
do. Patience is a virtue, which, taken at the flood, leads on to
fortune."

"My mother?" said Ruby, wishing to prolong the interview.

"Is well," said the captain. "Now, goodbye, lad, and be off."

"Goodbye, Minnie," cried Ruby, stepping forward suddenly and seizing the
girl's hand; then, wheeling quickly round, he sprang over the rocks, and
returned to his post.

"Ha! it's time," cried the smith. "I thought you would never be done
makin' love to that there girl. Come, blaze away!"

Ruby felt so nettled by the necessity that was laid upon him of taking
no notice of Minnie, that he seized the handle of the bellows
passionately, and at the first puff blew nearly all the fire away.

"Hallo! messmate," cried the smith, clearing the dust from his eyes;
"what on airth ails ye? You've blowed the whole consarn out!"

Ruby made no reply, but, scraping together the embers, heaped them up
and blew more gently.

In a short time the visitors re-entered their boat, and rowed out of the
creek in which it had been lying.

Ruby became so exasperated at not being able even to watch the boat
going away, that he showered terrific blows on the mass of metal the
smith was turning rapidly on the anvil.

"Not so fast, lad; not so fast," cried Dove hurriedly.

Ruby's chafing spirit blew up just at that point; he hit the iron a
crack that knocked it as flat as a pancake, and then threw down the
hammer and deliberately gazed in the direction of the boat.

The sight that met his eyes appalled him. The boat had been lying in
the inlet named Port Stevenson. It had to pass out to the open sea
through _Wilson's Track_, and past a small outlying rock named _Gray's
Rock_--known more familiarly among the men as _Johnny Gray_. The boat
was nearing this point, when the sea, which had been rising for some
time, burst completely over the seaward ledges, and swept the boat high
against the rocks o