"Oh, papa, how funny!" exclaimed Nell. "It is just like that, too! But look, Captain, there's a `soldier crab,' isn't it?" "Yes, my dear, and we'll keep him for your aquarium; as well as some new sea-anemones and another zoophyte I see here, too. This chap is christened the `alcyonium' by learned naturalists, but is called `dead man's fingers' by the fisher-folk along shore." "What a horrid name!" interposed Nellie, shuddering--"a horrid name!" "It is so named," continued the Captain, "because the creature has the advantage of having several bodies instead of one, all radiating from a single stem, like fingers or toes. But now, I think, there's nothing much of any good left of our shoot, save a few oysters. Those will come in handy presently, eh, Strong?" "Yes, I shan't mind," replied the barrister. "I'm beginning to have an appetite, I think." "We'll have luncheon at once then," said the old sailor with alacrity, as if this would be a labour of love. "I'm not beginning to have an appetite, because I've got one already, and a precious good one, too! Do you think you can pick a bit if you try, eh, young people?" "Yes, please," replied Nell. Master Bob's response was a shout of "Rather," fully indicative of his feelings; while Dick grinned so much that his face was a study as he said "Y-es, sir, sure-ly!" Taking all these evidences as proof of the unanimity of the company on the subject, the Captain, all helping, at once set about the preparations for the coming feast. He first, however, tied up the pocket of the trawl again, preparatory to heaving it overboard; so that they could "kill two birds with one stone," as he said, and be fishing and eating at the same time. Each had something to do after this important operation. Dick began by scraping some soles which the Captain selected from the number he had put aside for Mrs Gilmour. Next, Master Bob washed these in a bucket of water he had procured from over the side of the cutter in sailor fashion; and then handing them to the Captain, who officiated as "master of the kitchen," over the gridiron in the "fo'c's'le,"--the old sailor cooked away quite cheerfully, in spite of having to bend himself almost in two in the little cabin in order to attend to his task properly, his zeal preventing him for the moment from feeling any inconvenience from stooping so much. Nell, who had been debarred from any share in preparing the fish or looking after its grilling, which, certainly, she would infinitely have preferred, contented herself with arranging the four small plates which were all that the cutter's locker contained in the way of crockery-ware, besides a similar number of cups of various hues and shapes.