Just before twelve o'clock the _Olivette_ started with her double complement on board. It was not an ideal time for a quick passage, as the tide was setting to the west'ard. Fortunately the motor started up easily, in spite of the fact that the two rascals who had stolen the boat had been too lavish in the use of lubricating oil. "That's better than giving her too little," declared Roche the optimist. "She's running like a clock." The day was clear and bright, with a calm sea and a hot sun shining in an unclouded sky. What little wind there was blew off the land. Provided the range of visibility held, the absence of a compass mattered but little. The _Olivette_ kept close inshore, so that the guests could point out the interesting features of the Dorset coast, which they knew intimately; but presently some of the Weymouth lads looked rather puzzled. They were too polite to express their perplexity at the manoeuvres of Hepburn, who was at the helm of the _Olivette_. Alan, constantly referring to the chart, was feeling none too certain of his position. He kept looking shorewards, trying to determine the various prominent objects. Presently Phillips, who had been sitting on the coach-roof, descended into the well, made his way past the motor, and climbed upon the raised bench in the wheel-house. "I say," he remarked, "are you taking us straight to Keyhaven?" "Dash it all, no," replied Hepburn. "What put that idea into your head? We are going to land you at Lulworth." "Really," rejoined John. "Do you know you are past Lulworth already?" On deck the two Scoutmasters were enjoying the joke, although it was rather a set-back to Mr. Armitage, who had been dilating upon the youthful helmsman's skill in coastal navigation. To them came Stratton. "One of the Weymouth fellows says we have overrun Lulworth, sir," he reported. "'Fraid you have," agreed Mr. Armitage. "It's over there." He pointed over the port quarter to what appeared to be a small rift in the cliffs. "That's Lulworth, Peter," he added. "Why, sir," exclaimed the astonished Patrol Leader, "it's so small we couldn't possibly take the _Olivette_ in there." "You are not the first to make that remark," observed the Weymouth Scoutmaster. "Many yachtsmen have mistaken Mupe Bay and Worbarrow Bay for Lulworth Cove. The coastguard look-out hut on the western cliff is the best mark to distinguish it." Meanwhile Alan had put the helm hard-a-starboard, "meeting" it when the boat's head pointed towards the entrance. As the distance decreased, the real magnitude of the entrance became apparent. In reality, instead of being only twenty yards in width, as Peter had imagined, it was more than four times that distance. On either hand the cliffs rose sheer, with a heavy ground-swell lashing the base of the rocks. "Keep a bit more over to the eastern side," cautioned Mr. Armitage. "Right--at that. There's plenty of water." "Hadn't we better clear away the anchor, sir?" asked Stratton.