_Betty_ with her centre-board up only
drew about three feet six, so except at the very lowest point the
creek would always be navigable.

"Is it a safe place to leave a boat for the night with no one on
board?" inquired Tommy.

Mr. Gow shook his head. "I wouldn't go as far as that, sir. None o'
the reg'lar boatmen or fishermen wouldn't touch 'er, but they're a
thievin' lot o' rascals, some o' them Tilbury folk. If they happened
to come across 'er, as like as not they'd strip 'er gear, to say
nothin' of the fittings." Then he paused. "But if you was thinkin' o'
layin' 'er up there for the night, I'd see no one got monkeyin' around
with 'er. I'd sleep aboard meself."

"Well, that's a bright notion," said Tommy, turning to me. "What do
you think, Neil?"

"I think it's quite sound," I answered. "Besides, he can help me look
after her for the next two or three days. I shall be too busy to get
over to the creek much myself." Then putting my hand in my pocket
I pulled out Joyce's envelope, and carefully extracted one of the
five-pound notes from inside. "Look here, Mr. Gow!" I added, "we'll
strike a bargain. If you'll stay with the _Betty_ for a day or so,
I'll give you this fiver to buy or hire another boat with until you
can get your compensation out of our German friends. I shall be living
close by, but I shan't have time to keep my eye on her properly."

Mr. Gow accepted the proposal and the note with alacrity. "I'm sure
I'm very much obliged to you, sir," he said gratefully. "I'll just run
up to my cottage when we land to get some dry clothes, and then I'll
come straight back and take 'er over. She won't come to no harm, not
with Luke Gow on board; you can reckon on that, sir."

He touched his cap, and climbing up out of the well, made his way
forward, as though to signalize the fact that he was adopting the
profession of our paid hand.

"I'm so glad," said Joyce quietly. "I shan't feel half so nervous now
I know you'll have someone with you."

Tommy nodded. "It's a good egg," he observed. "I think old whiskers
is by way of being rather grateful." Then he paused. "But what swine
those German beggars must be not to have stopped! They must have seen
what had happened."

"I wonder what he meant by hinting that they'd done it purposely," I
said.

Tommy laughed. "I don't know. I asked him in the cabin, but he
wouldn't say any more. I think he was only talking through his hat."

"I'm not so sure," I said doubtful