"I'm sure we should be very pleased to see the young gentleman," said
Aunt Ruth in the most stately manner; and then poor Taff was forgotten,
from the fact that, after well assisting the guest, Uncle Abram and Will
set such an example in the way of eating that it proved contagious, and
Dick was soon proving himself no mean trencherman, while he fully
realised the wisdom of the old sailor in always having "a good bit o'
salt provision in cut."

When they rose from the table Aunt Ruth was quite sure that her visitor
had not had half a tea, which words were comforting to Dick, whose
conscience, now that he had eaten, was beginning to smite him for
behaving so voraciously at these strangers' table--unnecessary qualms,
for his performance had been very mild compared to that of the purser,
who shook hands warmly when his guest took leave, Mrs Marion
supplementing her good-bye with a warm invitation to come again.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

DICK TEMPLE TAKES A LESSON IN FINDING HIS BEARINGS BEFORE THE BOLTER IS
LAID.

"So your father has to do with mines, has he?" said Will rather eagerly,
as the two lads walked down towards the little harbour.

"Yes, and I'm going to be a mining engineer," said Dick. "I say, I wish
I was a fisherman--boy, I mean!"

"And I wish I was going to be a mining engineer," said Will, smiling
sadly.

"Why, it isn't half such fun!" cried Dick. "You have to learn all sorts
of stuff about rocks and strata, and chemistry, and mechanics, and
hydro-all-sorts-of-things. I say, do you ever see sharks down here?"

"Not very often," said Will. "I never did see one. Josh hooked one
once with his gaff, after it had taken a conger bait."

"Oh, did he? Tell me all about it."

"There isn't much all to tell," replied Will. "Josh was out in the
boat, fishing off the rocks with a mate--out yonder, where you can see
the cliff with the white patch on the top--Poldee."

"Yes, I see."

"Well, they couldn't catch a single conger, and they were going to give
it up, when Josh's mate had a bite; and when he began to pull up, he
thought it was a conger, but only a very small one; and then, when they
got it to the top of the water they stared, for it was--how much do you
think?"

"Forty feet!" cried Will eagerly.

"No, no!" said Will smiling; "they thought it was about six."

"Oh, that isn't big!" said Dick in disappointed tones.

"Not big! What, a fish the size of a tall man, and ten times as strong
i