Exactly two hours after leaving Poole, the staunch little craft arrived at her moorings in Keyhaven Lake. "Now, lads," said Mr. Armitage, "the sooner we make a proper start the better. It will take us the rest of to-day and the whole of to-morrow to get ready for our cross-Channel trip. You know your respective duties, so 'get on with it', as the Service saying goes. By the by, Hepburn, you're steward. There's one thing I want to remind you about. Don't take too many boxes of matches, or we may have trouble with the _douaniers_ on the other side. Matches are taxable articles in France." During the afternoon Mr. Armitage cycled over to Lymington to obtain the necessary clearance papers from the Customs, and to collect a bundle of charts and sailing directions for the French coast lent him by a yachting acquaintance. In their Scoutmaster's absence the Sea Scouts toiled hard, for there was a lot to be done before the interrupted refit of the _Olivette_ was accomplished. Fresh water, fortunately, they had in plenty, but the paraffin- and oil-tanks required replenishing, and there was a considerable amount of spare gear to be brought down from the store. That night Stratton, Roche, and Bruin were to sleep on board. In view of previous events the Patrol Leader decided to take no risks of another postponement. After supper Peter and Roche took Bruin ashore for a run, and on the quay they encountered old Boldrigg. "We're off to France the day after tomorrow, Mr. Boldrigg," announced Stratton, after he had related the circumstances under which the _Olivette_ had been taken to Weymouth and back again. "We're hoping to go right up to Paris, and perhaps we may get a chance of seeing some of the battlefields." "Don't I wish I were a-comin' with ye, Master Peter," said the old man wistfully. "My boy, Jim--him as was a corporal--lies out yonder. I'd like to see his grave, but travellin' costs a sight o' money, an' I'm no hand at speaking the Frenchies' lingo. I'd be all adrift if I found myself over t'other side, I'm thinkin'." "Haven't you been to France, Mr. Boldrigg?" asked Roche. "Ay, sure," was the reply. "When I was in the old _Aldebran_ on the Mediterranean Station back in the 'nineties I was ashore at Toulon. Things were a bit different to what they are now. We'd just had a bit of a tiff with Johnny Crapaud, an' he was still feeling a bit sore over it. We of the lower deck kept ourselves to ourselves, in a manner o' speaking, and didn't have no truck with the French bluejackets. That was long afore the 'Intent Cordyal', or whatever they calls it, came along. Are you taking Bruin with you?" Peter shook his head. "We can't, unfortunately. We'll miss him, but it cannot be helped. Well, we must be getting on board, Mr. Boldrigg, so we'll wish you 'Good night'." Early next morning the task of provisioning and preparing the _Olivette_ for her voyage was resumed, and so quickly did the work progress that by noon everything was in readiness.