ing more amiable
as his mind was recalled to action. "It's just the wind we want for
going down Channel; and the sooner we take advantage of it, the better.
What say you pilot?"

"I'm agreeable," replied the thin man alongside him in the monkey-
jacket, who was giving some parting message to the one in the oilskin as
he went down the side-ladder to take a passage back to Gravesend in the
shoreboat that had brought his comrade off. "I think we'd better lose
no time but tow on at once to the Downs."

"Just what I wish," said Captain Gillespie springing up the poop ladder
and taking his place by the side of Mr Mackay; and, as the shoreboat
pushed off with its now solitary passenger and only one waterman to
pull, he shouted out, "Hands, up anchor!"

"Aye, aye, sorr," responded the boatswain, who, expecting the order, had
already gone forwards to rouse out the men before they had stowed
themselves into their bunks, quickly followed by Mr Saunders the second
mate, who also anticipated what was coming; and the next moment I could
hear Tim's shrill whistle and his hoarse call, which seemed an echo of
the captain's, albeit in even a louder key, "A-all hands up anchor!"

Mr Mackay now hailed the tug, which had been standing by still with her
steam up, awaiting our summons, and she steered up alongside shortly;
so, while our portion of the crew manned the windlass, hauling in the
cable with a chorus and the clink-clanking noise of the chain as the
pauls gripped, another set of hands busied themselves in getting in the
towing-hawser from the Arrow, and fastening it a second time around our
bollards forward.

"Hove short, sir!" soon sang out the second mate from his station on the
knightheads, when the anchor was up and down under our forefoot. "It'll
show in a minute!"

"All right," answered Captain Gillespie from aft, "bring it home!"

More clink-clanking ensued from the windlass; and, then, as the vessel's
head slewed round with the tide, showing that she was released from the
ground, Mr Saunders shouted, "Anchor's now in sight, sir!"

"Heave ahead!" the captain roared in answer to the master of the tug;
and, a second or two later, we were under weigh and proceeding once more
down the river, Captain Gillespie calling to the second mate that he
might "cat and fish" the anchor if he liked, as he did not intend to
bring up again, but to make sail as soon as the tug cast off in the
morning. Adding, as Mr Saunders turned