"He's in there," said Jim, nodding vaguely in the direction of their burrow. "That's a good ides. Let us have a look at him." And Jim started off to fetch Robinson out. "And you might bring my things out too, Jim. My back's getting raw with the sun." Jim grinned and crept into the hole, and reappeared presently with an armful of clothing and a richly bound volume. Eager put on his other sock and his shirt and trousers, and then sat down again and picked up the book. It was an unusually fine edition of the old story, with large coloured plates, and had not been improved by its sojourn in the land. "Does your grandfather know you have this out here?" Most decidedly not. "I should take it back if I were you, or keep it wrapped in paper. It's spoiling with the sand and damp. It always hurts me to see a good book spoiled. Are there many more like this at the house?" "Heaps,"--which opened out further pleasant prospects if the mine proved workable. "Have you gone right through it?" "Only 'bout the pictures." "Well, if you're here to-morrow I'll begin reading it to you from the beginning. There must be quite three-quarters of it that you know nothing about. And as soon as I can, I'll call on your grandfather and have a talk with him about, the swimming and the rest. Can you write?" "Not much," said Jack. "Sums?" Nothing of the kind and no slightest inclination that way. "Now I must get back to my work," said Eager, as he finished dressing. "This is my first morning, and it's been holiday. I've been living for the last five years in the East End of London, where the people are all crowded into dirty rooms in dirty streets, and I came to have a took at the sea and the sands. It's like a new life. Now, good-bye," and he shook hands politely with each in turn. "I shall be on the look-out for you to-morrow." He strode away through the sand-hills towards Wyvveloe, and the boys stood watching till he disappeared. "My rabbit!" cried Jim, as his eye lighted on the old gage of battle lying on the sand, and he dashed at it. "Mine!" and in a moment they were at it hammer and tongs. And the Rev. Charles went on his way, not a little elated at thoughts of this new field that lay open before him. CHAPTER VII EAGER HEART "Mrs. Jex," said Eager, to the old woman in whose cottage he had taken his predecessor's rooms, "who lives in yon big house on the shore?" Mrs. Jex straightened her big white cap nervously. She had hardly got used yet to this new "passon," who was so very different from the last, and who had already in half a day asked her more questions than the last one did in a year. "Will it be Carne yo' mean, sir?" "That's it,--Carne. Who lives there, and what kind of folks are they?" "There's Sir Denzil an' there's Mr. Kennet----" "Who's Mr. Kennet?" "Sir Denzil's man, sir. An' there's the boys----' "Ah, then, it's the boys I met on the shore, running wild and free, without a shirt between them."