e collapse. The coats, fortunately, held together
sufficiently well to enable them to be hauled on board in a piece; but
as they were soaked through, they afforded very little comfort to the
distressed seamen, who decided forthwith to shorten sail at once, and
take to the poles once more.

But by this time the "Cock-House," thanks to the tremendous impetus it
had just received, was twenty yards from the shore; and Wally, when he
put down his pole, nearly went after it, in the vain search for a
bottom.

"Here's a go!" said he; "I say, you chaps, I almost fancy, after all,
Rollitt must be up the mountain. What do you say?"

"I thought so all along," said Fisher minor. "If he is, Yorke and
Stratton will find him."

"Good old Yorke! I say--we may as well back water a bit."

Easier said than done. The old punt, now she was once out on the vasty
deep, behaved pretty much as she and the wind between them pleased. For
a time it looked very much as if, after all the explorers would reach
their destination.

But presently--just, indeed, as the explorers had started a small
football match (Association rules), Classics against Moderns, to keep
themselves warm, the fickle breeze shifted, and sent the "Cock-House"
lumbering inshore a mile or so north of the river-mouth. The Classics
had just scored their 114th goal as she grounded, and it was declared by
common consent that the voyage was at an end.

Luckily, she came ashore near to a little creek, into which, by
prodigious haulings and shovings, she was turned; and here, in a rude
way, they succeeded in mooring her until a more convenient season.

The call-over bell was just beginning to ring when the nine mariners got
back to Fellsgarth.

Great cheering was going on on the Green, and boys were crowding
together discussing some great news.

"What is it?--Rollitt turned up?" asked the juniors.

"No; haven't you heard? Yorke and Stratton went up to look for him on
Hawk's Pike. They didn't find him, but _they got to the top_!"

"Got to the top! One of our chaps got to the top of Hawk's Pike.
Hurroo. Yell, you chaps. Bravo, Yorke! Bully for Fellsgarth!"

"I wish they'd found Rollitt, all the same," said Fisher minor; "I'm
afraid he's gone for good."

"Not he. Didn't we nearly find him to-day, you young muff?" retorted
Wally. "Besides, a fellow who's gone for good wouldn't come and buy
sixpenny-worth of Abernethys at our shop in the night, would he?"

Fi