te. "Have you a little roast mutton about
you somewhere, we are so hungry!"

"You _are_ a pretty pair!" he remarked. "What have you been and
done?"

"We just went for a row after tea, Middy dear," said Robinette, "and
look at the result."

"You're not rowing now," observed Carnaby pointedly.

"No," said Mark, "we gave up rowing when the water left us, Carnaby.
Conversation is more interesting in the mud."

"But how did you get here? I thought you were going to the Flag Rock?"
demanded Carnaby.

"Is there a Flag Rock, Middy dear? I didn't know," said Robinette
innocently. "It shows we shouldn't go anywhere without our first
cousin once removed. We just began to talk, here in the boat, and the
water went away and left us." Then she laughed, and Mark laughed too,
and Carnaby's look of unutterable scorn seemed to have no effect upon
them. They might almost have been laughing at him, their mirth was so
senseless, viewed in any other light.

"It's nearly eight o'clock," he said solemnly. "Perhaps you can form
some idea as to what grandmother's saying, and Bates."

"Well, you're going to be our rescuer, Middy darling, so it doesn't
matter," said Robinette. "Look! the water's coming up."

But Carnaby seemed in no mood for waiting. He had taken off his boots,
and rolled up his trousers above his knees.

"I'd let Lavendar wade ashore the best way he could!" he said, "but I
s'pose I've got to save you or there'd be a howl."

"No one would howl any louder than you, dear, and you know it. Don't
step in!" shrieked Robinette, "I've confided a shoe already to the
river-mud! I just put my foot in a bit, to test it, and down the poor
foot went and came up without its shoe. Oh, Middy dear, if your young
life--"

"Blow my young life!" retorted Carnaby. He was performing gymnastics
on the edge of his boat, letting himself down and heaving himself up,
by the strength of his arms. His legs were covered with mud.

"No go!" he said. "It's as deep as the pit here; sometimes you can
find a rock or a hard bit. We must just wait."

They had not long to wait after all, for presently a rush of the tide
sent the water swirling round the stranded boat, and carried Carnaby's
craft to it.

"Now it'll be all right," said he. "You push with the boat-hook, Mark,
and I'll pull"; but it took a quarter of an hour's pushing and pulling
to get the boat free of the mud.

Except for the moon it would have been quite dark when the party
reache