people are visitors going to stay at the North
End."

"There's the jetty," announced Dora; "we shall be off directly. Hallo!
Why aren't we stopping? Oh, Phoebe! Myfanwy! Aldred! Look: we're
actually going past it!"

CHAPTER VI

An Awkward Predicament

The girls sprang to their feet. It was unfortunately only too true; the
vessel had steamed past the quay, and was heading out into the bay, away
from the land.

The four looked at each other in consternation too great for words. What
were they to do? Could anybody have imagined a more horrible situation?
They must indeed have made some great mistake.

"Tickets, please!" cried the purser, coming round at this critical
moment to collect the fares, and holding out his hand in anticipation.

"We--we haven't any!" faltered Dora. "We thought you stopped at the
jetty."

"Why, no, miss. This is the Everston boat; we don't stop until Sandsend.
You've got on the wrong steamer, that's what you've done. Didn't you see
the notice up on the gangway? The North End boats have red funnels and a
blue flag. A shilling each, please, to Sandsend, or half a crown to
Everston."

"Oh, can't you turn back, and put us off at the jetty?" implored Dora,
almost crying. "We don't want to go to Sandsend, and certainly not to
Everston."

"And we're in a great hurry," added Aldred.

"Sorry, miss, but it can't be done! The captain won't stop the steamer
for anybody," said the man, smiling.

"Not if we went and asked him ourselves?" begged Phoebe eagerly.

"Not for the Queen of England!" returned the purser, as he waited,
shuffling the tickets and some loose change suggestively in his hand.

The girls felt in their pockets in vain. Most of their substance had
gone on postcards and popcorn, and all they could muster among them was
sevenpence-halfpenny.

"I'm afraid we haven't enough money. We only expected to pay penny fares
to the jetty."

Dora's voice trembled a little. She felt so upset, she scarcely knew
what she was saying, and the others looked equally solemn and concerned.
The purser rubbed his chin, as if in doubt.

"It's an awkward case, certainly," he said. "I can't think what they
were doing at the pier-head to let you come on without tickets. This
boat goes to Everston, you see, and stays the night there, so we can't
take you back to Chetbourne. You'd best get off at Sandsend, and walk
home along the shore. I'll make it all right with the captain about the
fares."