the crews of both boats assembled in the saloon of the guardship for dinner. it was a convivial meal. the lads let their tongues go with a will when they weren't eating. the two scoutmasters were discussing scouting and talking over old times—both had been in command of m.l.'s during the war, but had been in widely different patrols—as if they had known each other intimately for years.
the meal too was done to perfection. hayes, the culinary expert of the southend sea scouts, had lived up to his reputation. the huge sea-pie was pronounced excellent, while a plum-duff of immense size was so light and appetizing that it disappeared altogether. and no one felt any ill-effects after it, which was probably one of the best tests of its good quality.
after dinner the two scoutmasters went on board the ocean bride to acquaint mr. collinson with the alteration of plans, and to ask him to send for bedford or coles whenever they might be of use.
at two o'clock the olivette's crew went on board their own craft in order to start up the powerful engine. while this operation was in progress mr. graham, desmond, findlay, and hayes transferred their travelling kit to the motor-boat, after the former had given final instructions to the two caretakers of the guardship.
"if i were you, graham," said mr. armitage, "i'd put your three fellows into different watches during the trip. it would give them a good chance to pick up landmarks when you bring the spindrift back. my lads can put them up to a wheeze or two. as far as we are concerned, we now work the craft in three watches instead of two, when making long passages. i find it better for the lads in every way—four hours on and eight off."
"right-o!" agreed mr. graham. "it's quite a sound scheme."
"no need for that arrangement to-day, though," commented mr. armitage. "it's only about an hour's run from here to keyhaven, especially as we carry our tide. on monday we'll put one of your lads into each watch. it will take us roughly about twelve hours to reach plymouth without running the engine all out. it's only a matter of one hundred and twenty-one miles. —all ready, flemming? very well, carry on. —i believe in letting my lads act as if i weren't on board," he explained. "it gives them confidence and self-reliance."
"let go aft!" shouted flemming from the wheelhouse.
promptly bedford on the guardship cast off the olivette's after warp. with the flood-tide boring against her starboard quarter, the olivette swung quickly until her bows pointed almost down the creek. "let go for'ard!" ordered flemming. "touch ahead."
putting the helm down the young navigator threw the motor-boat's stern clear of the guardship. "easy ahead!"
with cheerful adieux to the somewhat glum bedford and coles, the sea scouts saw the last of the guardship for a good many days. they expected to be back in ten days, but they had yet to learn the futility of fixing a time limit as far as a sailing craft is concerned. even in the case of a powered-boat there was a fair element of chance to be taken into account when making a coasting trip.
the run down the solent was only too short: at least the southend sea scouts were of that opinion. with the regular crew of the olivette it was a different matter. these waters were no stranger to them, and, although they revelled in being afloat, they were a bit tired of the enclosed channel between the isle of wight and the hampshire shore. having acquired the taste for exploration, they were never so happy as when navigating unfamiliar waters.
nevertheless they were very attentive to their guests, pointing out the various objects of interest and answering scores of questions concerning the olivette and her adventures.
for desmond and his chums there was no lack of excitement. they had a distant view of osborne house, they saw cowes, with a crowd of yachts anchored, and the strong tideway known as the roads; beaulieu and newton rivers were pointed out to them—places where the olivette's crew had had strange experiences. they passed submarines, destroyers, and light cruisers; a giant liner bound from southampton to new york overtook them, her wash throwing the olivette about like a cork. seaplanes and flying-boats from the r.a.f. station at calshot glided overhead. altogether, it was a brief and exciting hour.
"game for an early morning to-morrow, graham?" asked scoutmaster armitage abruptly.
"certainly," was the reply. "what's the scheme?"
"the glass is high and steady," said mr. armitage. "it seems a pity to miss the fine weather. what do you say to making a start at 4 a.m.? barring accidents we ought to be at plymouth by four or five in the afternoon. that will mean a clear gain of twenty-four hours as far as you are concerned."
"isn't it upsetting your arrangements?" asked mr. graham.
"not at all. we'll go into keyhaven on the top of the first high water. that will give us a good two hours alongside the wharf to take in petrol and paraffin. at the second high water we can drop down to our mooring for the night, and start with the first of the west-going tide to-morrow morning."
"these double tides puzzle me," declared the east coast scoutmaster frankly. "when a fellow has been used to two high tides a day, it rather muddles him up when he's suddenly got four to deal with."
"quite simple, really," was the response. "here—from hurst to wootton the second high tide is roughly two hours after the first, southampton water has double tide of about the same interval. now, at portsmouth there are only two high waters in the day; but the flood makes for seven and a half hours and the ebb is only five and a half hours. again, at poole there are double high tides, and roughly the first high water occurs four hours after low tide, and the second high water four hours after the first. it's interesting work studying the tides. my lads are awfully keen on it. only the other day i was reading a magazine story to them. it described a person embarking on a yacht at plymouth. the moon was at the full, it was high water, and the time twelve o'clock. young woodleigh pulled me up short. 'that can't possibly be, sir', he asserted. i didn't twig it at the time, but the boy was right. high water, full and change, anywhere between the lizard and portland bill, occurs between five o'clock and six-thirty; eastward of portland it is between ten and twelve o'clock, right round as far as margate. so high water at plymouth at the time stated and with the moon at the full is a physical impossibility. now, we're nearly off the entrance to keyhaven. it's a fairly tricky channel, but my lads know it. i don't have to bother about anything. to all intents i'm a passenger."
the southend sea scouts were watching the manoeuvres of woodleigh with ill-concealed wonder. the olivette was apparently heading for a steep, pebbly beach. on the left part of the beach was a port with a detached lighthouse, which they were told was hurst castle, one of the places where king charles i was imprisoned. almost in the centre of the shore were several coast-guard houses, direct for which the boat appeared to be steering. south'ard of the point the sea, calm everywhere else, was a wide patch of seething water, which flemming pointed out as hurst race.
suddenly woodleigh put the helm hard a-port. round swung the olivette until her head pointed towards two small beacons in line.
"wherever is he making for?" whispered jock. "there's nothing but mud as far as i can make out."
but a little later on the helm was starboarded, and the southend sea scouts saw the entrance to the creek on their port hand—one of the snuggest little anchorages imaginable, being sheltered by the long stretch of shingle on which hurst fort is built.
"there are our moorings," said woodleigh, indicating a roped barrel bearing the word "olivette".
"aren't you going to slow down and pick it up?" inquired hayes.
"no," was the reply. "our scoutmaster's orders are to carry on alongside the wharf. i don't know why, but that's neither here nor there. he generally lets us carry on, but when he does give an order we've jolly well got to obey."
without mishap the olivette was berthed alongside the dilapidated wharf. then scoutmaster armitage told his crew to form up, as he wanted to tell them something.
"i suppose the motor is quite satisfactory, flemming?" he inquired, for one of the reasons for the olivette's run to wootton was to test the engine after an extensive overhaul.
"yes, sir."
"that's good. now, i want you and woodleigh to fill up the tanks as soon as possible. warkworth and hepburn, you'll undertake the provisioning as usual. make preparations for victualling twelve persons for two days. rayburn and willis, get your bikes out of the store and ride round and tell the various parents that we're sailing at daybreak to-morrow, and that the crew are sleeping on board to-night. that's the new arrangement. all right: dismiss."
"can't we lend a hand with anything, sir?" asked desmond.
"oh, yes," replied mr. armitage. "woodleigh and flemming will be only too glad if you'll help with the fuel."
the two scoutmasters went ashore, mr. armitage having promised to lend mr. graham a set of charts of the cornish and devon coasts, and these, not being in general use, he kept at his house at milford, about a mile and a half from keyhaven.
"come along, you fellows," said flemming with a cheerful grin. "there's nothing like handling barrels of paraffin on a holiday to keep you fit and healthy."
it certainly was hard work rolling two heavy and decidedly sticky barrels from the store to the wharf, and when at length that part of the task was completed there yet remained the filling up of the tanks.
"i say," exclaimed patrol leader desmond. "you are not going to take that paraffin on board in buckets, are you?"
"there's no other way," declared flemming. "we waste a little, i admit, and it's a dirty job, but there you are."
"do you happen to have a hose on board?" asked desmond. "not one you use for water."
"there's one in the store," said woodleigh. "it used to be for watering the doctor's garden and washing down his car; but he bought a new one and gave the old one to us. i can't see that it will be much use, though. we haven't a tap for the barrel, and the bung's much too large."
"and besides," added flemming, in support of his chum, "the deck is higher than the barrel, and paraffin won't run up-hill."
"this paraffin will, i think," rejoined desmond quietly. "let's get the hose and try."
the hose was quickly forthcoming. it was about sixty feet in length—much longer than desmond required.
"cut it," suggested flemming. "it's only an old one."
desmond shook his head.
"it would be a pity to do that," he said. "you might want it some day. no; i think i can manage. hold up that end, jock."
findlay did so. desmond held up the other end, so that both ends were an equal height from the ground on which the remainder of the hose was resting.
woodleigh was then directed to pour paraffin into the pipe until it was quite full. both ends were then nipped tightly so that none of the oil could escape. then jock thrust the end he was holding into the _olivette's_ fuel tank, while desmond, quickly releasing the pressure, jammed the other end of the hose into the barrel.
save for a faint quivering of the pipe there were no signs of anything happening. woodleigh looked inquiringly at the demonstrator.
"it's running all right," declared desmond confidently. "you just look at the gauge."
"well i'm blessed!" exclaimed woodleigh. "you're right. it does save a lot of time, and there's no waste to speak of."
"we showed some fellows how to do it when we were at canvey," said desmond. "the next time they tried it was high tide—a very high tide—and the motor-boat's tank instead of being filled was emptied of the little already there. why? because the tank was at a higher level than the barrel, and the paraffin was siphoned in exactly the opposite direction to which the crew wanted it to go— look out, the tank's full!"
it had taken exactly ten minutes. the operation of filling up buckets and pouring the oil through a funnel usually occupied the best part of an hour; but when the "ration party" returned, hot and heavily laden, they found the "paraffin merchants" having a long spell of "stand easy".
"lazy blighters!" exclaimed rayburn. "you've been slacking. you'd better hurry up before mr. armitage gets back."
"we're not going to do another stroke until he returns," declared woodleigh composedly. "we're going to spin yarns. if you want to be particularly energetic you can fetch a barrel of paraffin from the store."
rayburn didn't think he would—and said so. instead—he began to stow the provisions on board, wondering why his usually energetic patrol leader was "hanging on to the slack", and what excuse he would make when the scoutmaster returned.
when at length the two scoutmasters arrived, rayburn was considerably surprised to hear woodleigh report: "all correct, sir", and mr. armitage was interested to hear how the operation of filling up the tank was performed.
"it's never too late to learn," he remarked; "especially as far as boats are concerned."
