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Updated: June 4, 2025
When the bed gong sounded, we heard the boys trooping up-stairs; and then Dr Hellyer rose at last. "Martin Leigh and Thomas Larkyns," he rolled out in his very deepest voice, making the ceiling of the refectory ring as usual. "I intend to expel you from my school. I shall write to your friends in the morning; and, in the meantime, you will be confined here until they come to remove you!"
Hellyer told them that he had not come on duty until a late hour in the day; and had then not seen anything of either Bob or Dick. "The man as I relieved," continued the coastguardsman, "told me as how he seed two boys in the Cap'en's boat about midday; and, all at once, arter his dinner, for which he goes into the cabin, you know, he misses the boat and the boys too.
The first thing Dr Hellyer always did on entering the refectory when he returned from church was, as we well knew, to walk up to the fireplace, where he would give the bars a thorough raking out with the poker and then heap a large shovelful of coals on from the adjacent scuttle.
I, for my part, would be quite content to stand the brunt of a torpedo attack on board a ship fitted with protecting nets and quick- firing guns. By Jove, I'd guarantee that Jack Dresser wouldn't be the one that was licked!" "I'd bet that same, sir," agreed Hellyer heartily, but seeing Bob he added, "Ah, here's the young ge'man I fished out of the sea t'other night.
"Just precisely what I did," I replied, chuckling at having kept my secret. "I have determined ever since last summer to run away to sea at the first opportunity I got; and when you suggested our blowing up Dr Hellyer, and making a regular Guy Fawkes of him, I, thought it would be too warm for us here afterwards, and that then would be the time to bolt.
I was a born sailor, if anything. There is no use in my denying the fact I must have inherited it with my father's blood! Once, Dr Hellyer spying about after me, on account of my not having turned up either at dinner or tea a most unusual circumstance found me messing with the hands in the fo'c's'le of a coal brig.
This time, our destination was further along the coast westwards, the collier brig proceeding to Plymouth instead of returning to our previous port of departure a circumstance which rejoiced us both greatly, as we should not have liked to have been landed again at the place we had left: Dr Hellyer, perhaps, would have been more pleased to see us than we should have been to meet him!
"It's all `that good Sarah, auntie," cried Bob slily; and, then, they all had another laugh, the misfortunes of the day being provocative, somehow or other, of the greatest fun. "Oh that `good Sarah'!" It appeared as if Mrs Gilmour would be the only sufferer in having to go without her tea: but, at this critical point, Hellyer came to the rescue.
At the coastguard-station they found Hellyer standing by the flagstaff, with his telescope under his left arm and evidently on duty. "Not much damage done to her hull yet, sir," said he, touching his hat, as he thus anticipated the Captain's inquiry. "She were all awash, though, sir, at high-water this morning!" "Indeed!" cried Captain Dresser.
Our little contretemps on the way had somewhat delayed dinner, which was already on the table on out arrival; so, without wasting any more time, Dr Hellyer marched us all in before him, still holding on to me until he had reached the top of the refectory, where, ordering me to stand up in front of his armchair, he proceeded as usual to poke the fire and then shovel on coals. Bang!
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