"I'll do that straight away."

We both got into the dinghy, and in a few strokes I pulled him to the
bank, where he stepped out on to the mud. Then he straightened himself
and touched his cap.

"I haven't never thanked you properly yet, sir, for what you done," he
observed. "You saved my life, and Luke Gow ain't the sort o' man to
forget a thing like that."

I backed the boat off into the stream. "Well, if you'll save our
property from the Tilbury gentlemen," I said, "we'll call it quits."

When I got back to the ship I found Tommy and Joyce making
preparations for lunch.

"We thought you'd like something before you pushed off," said Tommy.
"One can scout better on a full tummy."

"You needn't apologize for feeding me," I replied cheerfully. "I've a
lot of lost time to make up in the eating line."

It was a merry meal, that little banquet of ours in the _Betty's_
cabin. The morning's sail had given us a first-rate appetite, and in
spite of the somewhat unsettled state of our affairs we were all three
in the best of spirits. Indeed, I think the unknown dangers that
surrounded us acted as a sort of stimulant to our sense of pleasure.
When you are sitting over a powder mine it is best to enjoy every
pleasant moment as keenly as possible. You never know when you may get
another.

At last I decided that it was time for me to start.

"I tell you what I think I'll do, Tommy," I said. "I'll see if there's
any way along outside the sea-wall. I could get right up to the place
then without being spotted, if there should happen to be any one
there."

Tommy nodded. "That's the idea," he said. "And look here: I brought
this along for you. I don't suppose you'll want it, but it's a useful
sort of thing to have on the premises."

He pulled out a small pocket revolver, loaded in each chamber, and
handed it over to me.

I accepted it rather doubtfully. "Thanks, Tommy," I said, "but I
expect I should do a lot more damage with my fists."

"Oh, please take it, Neil," said Joyce simply.

"Very well," I answered, and stuffing it into my side pocket, I
buttoned up my coat. "Now, Tommy," I said; "if you'll put me ashore
we'll start work."

It was about a hundred yards to the mouth of the creek, and with the
tide running hard against us it was quite a stiff little pull. Tommy,
however, insisted on taking me the whole way down, just to see whether
there was any chance of getting along outside the sea-wall. We landed
at the e