ly. "He seemed to have some idea at
the back of his mind. I shall sound him about it later on."

With the wind holding good and a strong tide running, the _Betty_
scudded along at such a satisfactory pace that by half-past twelve
we were already within sight of Gravesend Reach. There is no more
desolate-looking bit of the river than the stretch which immediately
precedes that crowded fairway. It is bounded on each side by a low sea
wall, behind which a dreary expanse of marsh and salting spreads away
into the far distance. Here and there the level monotony is broken by
a solitary hut or a disused fishing hulk, but except for the passing
traffic and the cloud of gulls perpetually wheeling and screaming
overhead there is little sign of life or movement.

"You see them two or three stakes stickin' up in the water?" remarked
Mr. Gow suddenly, pointing away towards the right-hand bank.

I nodded.

"Well, you keep 'em in line with that little clump o' trees be'ind,
an' you'll just fetch the crick nicely."

He and Tommy went forward to take in the spinnaker, while, following
the marks he had indicated, I brought the _Betty_ round towards her
destination. Approaching the shore I saw that the entrance to the
creek was a narrow channel between two mud-flats, both of which were
presumably covered at high tide. I called to Joyce to wind up the
centre-board to its fullest extent, and then, steering very carefully,
edged my way in along this drain, while Mr. Gow leaned over to leeward
diligently heaving the lead.

"Plenty o' water," he kept on calling out encouragingly. "Keep 'er
goin', sir, keep 'er goin'. Inside that beacon, now up with 'er a bit.
That's good!"

He discarded the lead and hurried to the anchor. I swung her round
head to wind, Tommy let down the mainsail, and the next moment we
brought up with a grace and neatness that would almost have satisfied
a Solent skipper.

We were in the very centre of a little muddy creek with high banks
on either side of it. There was no other boat within sight; indeed,
although we were within three miles of Tilbury, anything more desolate
than our surroundings it would be difficult to imagine.

Mr. Gow assisted us to furl the sails and put things straight
generally, and then coming aft addressed himself to me.

"I don't know what time you gen'lemen might be thinkin' o' leavin';
but if you could put me ashore now I could be back inside of the
hour."

"Right you are," I said.