"Lord bless my heart alive! Let go, sir!
let go!"

"Let go what? Where?"

Stodger dashed forward. Clank splash.
Minnie Jimps turned her sharp nose to the
stream, and once more we rode in safety,
though so close to the vessel astern that
our dingey touched her, until hauled up
alongside.

"That was a close shave, gentlemen," said
Mr. Stodger, drawing a long breath. "You
Toby – what were you about?"

Toby took his thumb out of his mouth with
a pop, but made no observation, and presently
put it in again.

"Next time, before you weigh anchor, get
your jib and mainsail loose, gentlemen; and I
think, sir, you had better pitch that ere wolume
overboard, and trust to Toby."

"Toby?"

"He knows a thing or two, does that boy.
The babby as he looks, you couldn't hardly puzzle
him."

"Couldn't I," said Philip, with profound
contempt.

Philip took up Hopsetter, and opening it at a
venture, called to Toby, and asked him how a
knot was made.

"Which knot?" asked Toby. "Single or
double wall, single or double diamond, Matthew
Walker, spritsail-sheet, stopper, or shroud?"

The "Matthew Walker" was Philip's
selection.

"Unlay end. One strand round the rope,
and through its own bight; next strand
underneath, through bight of the first, and its own
bight; third strand underneath, through both
the other bights, and through its own bight,"
said Toby, quick as lightning.

Philip stood aghast. However, he quickly
recovered his equanimity, and muttering, "Mere
memory," threw down his book, and motioned
Toby back to his corner.

Ever since Mr. Stodger's reappearance it had
been evident that our proceedings had ceased to
excite the smallest interest, even on board the
vessel with which we had so narrowly escaped
collision. As the weather continued beautiful
in the extreme, we determined, therefore, to
recommence our voyage, abating our pride so far
as to accept a few hints from Mr. Stodger with
respect to our first operations.

Nothing, however, could induce Philip to
consent to Stodger's remaining on board one
moment after we were fairly under weigh; and,
this little business completed, and the Minnie
brought to the wind, Mr. Stodger took a reluctant
farewell, with a parting caution not to keep
her "too full;" to which Philip replied by
pointing carelessly to the pump.

Truly, this Minnie Jimps of ours was a flier!
No sooner did her snowy sail catch the almost
imperceptible breeze, than, leaning gracefully
over, she was off like a greyhound. She flew past
everything, stooping, and taking fresh bounds
along the sea as though she saw in the
distance the glimmer of a cup. She obeyed
the helm beautifully, the captain declaring
he could steer her with a silk thread. Her
speed, in fact, was her only fault: we were
alongside and past other vessels almost before
we had time to avoid them. Still the failing was
a noble one.

"This is something like sailing, isn't it?"
said Philip. "We shall be off Hyde in twenty
minutes. Just get out our flag."

At the instant I caught sight of a black
object just before us, on which tiny waves were
breaking – a mud-bank.

"I say – here! Hold hard! Buff! – Pluff!
(What is it?) Pull to you!"

"'Luff,' you mean," said Philip; "ay, ay,
sir, luff it is."

Luff it isn't would have been better. The
sail, jibbing, nearly sent me overboard; so that,
for a second, I could not see what was passing,
but I heard a gruff voice nearly under our bows
sing out,

"Hollo, you! Wot sort o' game do you call
this? Cutter a–ho–o–oy? Isn't there
nothin' but monkeys aboard?"

This must have been in coarse allusion to
Philip's hairy cap.

In avoiding the Scylla of the mud-bank we
had all but stumbled upon the Charybdis of a
dredging-machine. Our little dingey slightly
caressed the rough side of the latter as we shot
past.

We kept further from the land, and, having
now a clear field, skimmed gaily past the sunny
slopes of Osborne without further misadventure.
Here the breeze, light as it was before,
fell yet lighter, and, in a few minutes, died
entirely away. The Minnie Jimps, nevertheless,
continuing her course for some time with almost
undiminished speed, stopping at last quite
suddenly, as though the absurdity of going on
without any wind had just struck her. The
sails flapped idly to and fro. The water was
like glazed writing-paper. It was a dead
calm.

"What's to be done now?" said Philip.

We had run within a mile and a half of
Hyde. A portion of Dabchick Villa was clearly
distinguishable; and as, with the assistance of
the glass, the eye of love could even discover a
slender flagstaff on the corner of the roof,
Philip resolved to inform Miss Pollinger of our
vicinity, and accordingly hoisted, first, the
distinguishing colour. The cabbage, however,
declined to expand in the still air; and having
been presently hauled down, Philip chose three
little flags from his signal-chest, and tying them
one below the other, hoisted the whole. These,
being of lighter texture, blew fairly out, and we
now watched the flagstaff with eager interest
for a reply.

A considerable pause ensued, and Philip was
getting seriously uneasy, when up glided a small
white object like a laced nightcap.

"The old lady," said Philip, turning to me
with great complacency, "is nodding by the
fire."

Philip made the answering signal, whereupon