Part 7 (1/2)

'It began near Norderney,' I put in

'How did you guess that?' he asked

'You're a bad hand at duplicity,' I replied 'Go on'

'Well, you're quite right, it was there, on 9th Septe at that time, but I don't think I said that I , and had been told by so-yacht in those waters, whose owner, a Geriveit must be her froe-yacht”, of fifty or sixty tons, built for shalloater on the lines of a Dutch galliot, with lee-boards and those queer round bows and square stern

She's soalliots anchored near us now You solish waters, only there they copy the Thaes She looked a clipper of her sort, and very sold I ca round the E in--'

'Wait a bit, let's have the chart,' I interrupted

Davies found it and spread it on the table between us, first pushi+ng back the cloth and the breakfast things to one end, where they lay in a slovenly litter This was one of the only two occasions on which I ever saw hi up, and it spoke voluency of the matter in hand

'Here it is,' said Davies _[See Map A]_ and I looked with a new and strange interest at the long string of slender islands, the parallel line of coast, and the confusion of shoals, banks, and channels which lay between 'Here's Norderney, you see By the way, there's a harbour there at the west end of the island, the only real harbour on the whole line of islands, Dutch or Ger town there, too, a watering place, where Ger in the su in the Riff Gat roadstead, flying the Gerht pretty near her I ed my mind, as I always feel rather a fool on sood

However, I thought I ht as well; so, after dinner, when it was dark, I sculled over in the dinghy, hailed a sailor on deck, said who I was, and asked if I could see the owner The sailor was a surly sort of chap, and there was a good long delay while I waited on deck, feeling more and more uncomfortable Presently a steward came up and showed me down the companion and into the saloon, which, after _this_, looked--well, horribly gorgeous--you knohat IDinner seemed to be just over, and wine and fruit were on the table Herr Dollmann was there at his coffee I introduced myself somehow--'

'Stop a moment,' I said; 'as he like?'

'Oh, a tall, thin chap, in evening dress; about fifty I suppose, with greyish hair and a short beard I' forehead, and there was so about him--but I think I'd better tell you the bare facts first I can't say he seelish, and, in fact, I felt infernally aard Still, I had an object in coain it'

The notion of Davies in his Norfolk jacket and rusty flannels haranguing a frigid Gerreatly

'He seemed very much astonished to see me; had evidently seen the 'Dulcibella' arrive, and had wondered what she was I began as soon as I could about the ducks, but he shuthereabouts I put it down to sportsman's jealousy--you knohat that is But I saw I had co to back out and end this unpleasant interviehen he thawed a bit, offeredin quite a friendly way, taking a great interest in my cruise and my plans for the future In the end we sat up quite late, though I never felt really atstock of h I were some new animal' (How I syh, and I rowed back and turned in,to potter on eastwards early next day

'But I was knocked up at dawn by a sailor with aif he could coasted, but didn't like to be rude, so I said, ”Yes” Well, he came, and I returned the call--and--well, the end of it was that I stayed at anchor there for three days' This was rather abrupt

'How did you spend the ti three days anywhere was an unusual event for hi

'Oh, I lunched or dined with hiht to say,' he added, hurriedly 'His daughter ith hi I first called'

'And as she like?' I asked, promptly, before he could hurry on

'Oh, she seeuarded reply, delivered with particular unconcern, 'and--the end of it was that I and the 'Medusa' sailed away in company I must tell you how it came about, just in a feords for the present

'It was his suggestion He said he had to sail to Hao with him in the 'Dulcibella' as far as the Elbe, and then, if I liked, I could take the shi+p canal at Brunsbuttel through to Kiel and the Baltic I had no very fixed plans ofeastwards between the islands and the coast, and so reach the Elbe in ato it that I should have no chance of ducks, and urging other reasons Anye settled to sail in company direct to Cuxhaven, in the Elbe With a fair wind and an early start it should be only one day's sail of about sixtyof the third day, 12th September

'I told you, I think, that the weather had broken after a long spell of heat That very day it had been blowing pretty hard fro still I said, of course, that I couldn't go with hiood day, said it was an easy sail, and altogether put uess hoas Perhaps I had talked about single-handed cruising as though it were easier than it was, though I never , and besides there _is_ no danger if you're careful--'

'Oh, go on,' I said

'Anyent nextday, wind WNW, but his sails were going up and mine followed I took two reefs in, and we sailed out into the open and steered ENE