quite
popular, for he seemed to have plenty of coin, and was very free with
it. He appeared to make the acquaintance of most of the girls in the
neighbourhood, and be very popular with them, too. Well, about two
o'clock yesterday we were all in here, and Wyckliffe was in the middle
of a funny yarn when the old postmaster came in with a telegram for
him, which he said had been sent on from Hobart, where it had been
delayed. Wyck took the telegram, but before opening it said, 'Now, boys,
drink up, for I have a lady visitor coming, and we'll drink to her safe
journey.' The toast was drunk, and Wyck leisurely opened the telegram. I
never saw such a change in a man in my life. In an instant he was turned
from a jolly, good-hearted fellow, to a noisy, angry bully. His crew
were all in the bar drinking, and, by Jove, he made the fellows fly.
'Make up my account at once,' says he to me, and 'get ready to sail on
the spot' says he to his men in the same breath. He fussed and fumed
about, and seemed fairly mad with rage. The fellows here really thought
he was mad, for several tried to persuade him not to start, as they
feared dirty weather, but he snapped them up and took no notice of them.
In his anxiety he dropped the telegram, and without being seen I pushed
it under the counter with my foot. An hour later the yacht was under
sail, with two reefs in her mainsail and a small jib set."

They had followed this narrative with interest, and as they went into
breakfast Camden asked:

"If you are not connected with the police, who are you?"

"We are merely here to save a young lady from that villain's clutches,"
said Reg.

"Then I am glad you came," said Camden, heartily, "for I should never
have felt easy if I had been in any way connected with that business."

They sent a wire to Goody and sat down to an appetising breakfast of
fried flounders, a dish that an epicure in need of a new sensation for
his appetite is recommended to journey to Port Arthur to try. Hal and
Reg both did excellent justice to the fare, much to the satisfaction and
delight of Mrs. Camden, their landlord's wife. After their repast they
decided to take the chance offered them of inspecting the prisons, and
asked Camden to procure them a guide.

"There's the very man for you," said Camden, pointing to an old fellow
sitting in the bar, whom they at once recognised as the man they had met
when entering the Port.

"What's your name, old chap?" asked Hal, g