184 THE CRUISE OF THE ROVER CARAVAN

same reason. Well, away I went. It was fine fun, I
assure you, my dear old sleepy-head.”

“T wish I’d been there,” said Car.

“We paddled well out to sea, then the current took
us round a point that. hid the place where we had left
our clothes.

“After a bit it struck me that somebody might find
our habiliments and march off with them. So I put
back quickly enough. It was terrible work getting
round against the wind and current. But we did
manage at last. That is, Z did, for Buffles was
merely ballast, and Lady Bute was swimming close
astern.

“Sure enough there was a fisherman fellow had
found our clothes, and had folded them all up previous
to moving off with them.

“«Oh, sir,’ cried Buffles, ‘my purse and my beautiful
brass watch that mother guv me!’

«Hie on shore, lass,’ I cried to Lady Bute, ‘and
see to him,’

“Her ladyship took in the situation at a glance.
She gave vent to a whine of impatience. She took
the shore at the nearest place, and next minute she
was in full chase after that fisher fellow who was
marching off with our clothes.

“Oh, it was as good as a circus, Car. The man ran;
but Lady Bute gained on him, hand over hand. It
was like a lioness bounding after a fawn, though, come
to think of it, that fisher fellow didn’t look very like
afawn. Well, she caught him by that portion of his
garments that was nearest to her, and down he rolled,
and lay there. As I was certain her ladyship would