When the south-wester screamed over the flats for days at a time it set the ribbed sands humming with its steady persistence. Games were impossible then, and Eager's ready wit devised a means of turning the screamer to account. He turned into Bob Ratchett's shed one day and said: "Bob, I want some wheels--two big ones four feet across, and two about a foot smaller, and the tires of all must be a foot wide." "My gosh, them's wheels! What'n yo' want 'em for?" grinned Bob admiringly. "I'm going to make a boat--" "Aw then, passon!--a boat now!" "To run on the sands." "Aw!" gasped Bob, and eyed "passon" doubtfully. "You can make them?" "Aw! I can mek 'em aw reet, but----" "All right, Bob. You set to work, and I'll see to the rest." "Passon's" boat became a great joke in the village. But bit by bit he worked it out, got his materials into shape, and with his own hands and the assistance, in their various degrees, of the boys and the excited oversight of Gracie, fitted it together into a somewhat nightmare resemblance to the skeleton of a boat. Jack stuck pretty steadily to the novel work. Jim and Gracie fluttered about it, questioning, suggesting, doubting, went off for a game, came back, danced about, hindering more than helping, but always convinced in their own minds that but for them that boat would never have been built. The two large wheels, rather wide apart, supported it abeam forward, and between them he stepped a stout little mast carrying jib and mainsail. The smaller wheels astern moved on a stout pin and acted as rudder, actuated by a. long wooden tiller. A rough wooden frame abaft the mast offered precarious accommodation for passengers. And when at last, after many days, it was finished, the villagers crowded round it, and joked and laughed themselves purple in the face over the oddest and most unlikely craft that coast had ever seen. Then willing hands took the ropes, and dragged it out of the village and through the gullies of the sand-hills with mighty labours, and so, at last, to the edge of the flats not far from Carne. And there Eager climbed in by himself, with not a few fears that the doubts and laughter of the village might find their justification in him. There was a strong wind blowing with a steady hum right on to the flats from the south-west. Eager hauled up his sails, lay down in the meagre cockpit, tiller in hand, and the scoffers started him off with a run.