ow!'

Mrs. Stewart looked mystified.

'He wants to see the _Heroic_,' explained Tricksy; 'we are watching to
see when the boats leave.'

Mrs. Stewart gave Harry a seat on the other side of the table, an
arrangement which placed Allan where he could not see what was going
on. He and Marjorie and Reggie had to rest satisfied with the
discovery that they were able to communicate by means of kicking one
another's shins under the table, although this method of intelligence
made them feel if possible more distracted than before.

'Look how the men are running about on board,' said Tricksy. 'They
look like little black ants! They must be going to launch the boats
now.'

Harry's bright eyes did not leave the vessel for an instant. Of a
sudden his jaw dropped and his face became blank.

'What's the matter?' cried every one.

'They're going away,' cried Harry.

Every one sprang from table and looked.

'They can't be going round to the caves,' said Marjorie. 'Oh, dear,
how can we stop them. I'll take Cheeky and go and warn him.'

Fortunately this remark passed unnoticed amid the hubbub.

'They aren't going away altogether, are they?' asked Tricksy, her eyes
becoming large with dismay.

Allan made a rush for the door, and ran up against his father, who was
coming in.

'Hard luck,' said Mr. Stewart, holding out the letter; 'the _Heroic_
has received unexpected orders, and they have to sail northward without
delay. No shore leave, so they take this opportunity of saying
good-bye.'

'Aw--w--w,' said Harry, Gerald, and Tricksy, while the others had
difficulty in repressing an inclination to cheer.

'When are they coming back again?' asked Gerald.

'Next year, perhaps,' said Mr. Stewart, smiling.

The faces became if possible more blank than before.

'She's out of sight,' said Harry in a dejected tone, going to the
window.

'Is she?' said Gerald, looking out too; 'why, so she is.'

'If you fellows want to see her,' said Allan, 'why don't you go to the
top of the hill? You'll get a first-class view from there.'

Without a word the boys darted from the room and out at the front door,
Harry with his bootlaces untied and flapping about his ankles, and
Gerald without a hat. In scrambling over the wall Harry became caught,
and fell sprawling on the ground, but picked himself up and ran on as
if nothing had happened.

'Come, you two,' said Allan, 'now that we've got them safely out of the
way we've got to