let me know."

The skipper promised, and, shaking hands, bade his passenger good-night.
She descended, somewhat clumsily, it is true, into the little cabin,
and the skipper, sitting by the helm, which he lazily manoeuvred as
required, smoked his short clay and fell into a lover's reverie.

So he sat and smoked until the barge, which had, by the help of the
breeze, been making its way against the tide, began to realise that that
good friend had almost dropped, and at the same time bethought itself
of a small anchor which hung over the bows ready for emergencies such as
these.

"We must bring up, Bill," said the skipper.

"Ay, ay!" said Bill, sleepily raising himself from the hatchway. "Over
she goes."

With no more ceremony than this he dropped the anchor; the sail, with
two strong men hauling on to it, creaked and rustled its way close to
the mast, and the Sir Edmund Lyons was ready for sleep.

"I can do with a nap," said Bill. "I'm dog-tired."

"So am I," said the other. "It'll be a tight fit down for'ard, but we
couldn't ask a lady to sleep there."

Bill gave a non-committal grunt, and as the captain, after the manner
of his kind, took a last look round before retiring, placed his hands
on the hatch and lowered himself down. The next moment he came up with a
wild yell, and, sitting on the deck, rolled up his trousers and fondled
his leg.

"What's the matter?" inquired the skipper.

"That blessed dog's down there, that's all," said the injured Bill.
"He's evidently mistook it for his kennel, and I don't wonder at it. I
thought he'd been wonderful quiet."

"We must talk him over," said the skipper, advancing to the hatchway.
"Poor dog! Poor old chap! Come along, then! Come along!" He patted
his leg and whistled, and the dog, which wanted to get to sleep again,
growled like a small thunderstorm.

"Come on, old fellow!" said the skipper enticingly. "Come along, come
on, then!"

The dog came at last, and then the skipper, instead of staying to pat
him, raced Bill up the ropes, while the brute, in execrable taste, paced
up and down the deck daring them to come down. Coming to the conclusion,
at last, that they were settled for the night, he returned to the
forecastle and, after a warning bark or two, turned in again. Both men,
after waiting a few minutes, cautiously regained the deck.

"You call him up again," said Bill, seizing a boat-hook, and holding it
at the charge.

"Certainly not," said the other