The dawn was just beginning to break by the time I reached my old anchorage in the creek.  In spite of my long and slightly strenuous day, I didn’t feel particularly tired, so after stowing away the sails and tidying up things generally, I sat down in the cabin and began to compose my letter to McMurtrie.

I started off by telling him that I had completed my invention some days earlier than I expected to, and then gave him a brief but dramatic description of the success which had attended my first experiment.  I am afraid I was a trifle inaccurate with regard to details, but the precise truth is a luxury that very few of us can afford to indulge in.  I certainly couldn’t.  When I had finished I addressed the envelope to the Hotel Russell, and then, turning into one of the bunks, soon dropped off into a well-deserved sleep.

I don’t know whether it was Nature that aroused me, or whether it was Mr. Gow.  Anyway I woke up with the distinct impression that somebody was hailing the boat, and thrusting my head up through the hatch I discovered my faithful retainer standing on the bank.

He greeted me with a slightly apologetic air when I put off to fetch him.

“Good-mornin’, sir.  I hope I done right stoppin’ ashore, sir.  The young lady told me I wouldn’t be wanted not till this mornin’.”

“The young lady was quite correct,” I said.  “You weren’t.”  Then as we pushed off for the Betty I added:  “But I’m glad you’ve come back in good time today.  I want you to go in and post a letter for me at Tilbury as soon as we’ve had some breakfast.  You might get a newspaper for me at the same time.”

“Talkin’ o’ noos, sir,” observed Mr. Gow with sudden interest, “‘ave you heard tell about the back o’ Canvey Island bein’ blown up yesterday mornin’?”

“Blown up!” I repeated as we ran alongside.  “Who on earth did that?”

Mr. Gow shook his head as he clambered on board after me.  “No one don’t seem to know,” he remarked. “‘Twere done arly in the mornin’, they reckon.  There’s some as says ’tis the suffrinjettes, but to my way o’ thinkin’ sir; it’s more like to have somethin’ to do with them blarsted Dutchmen as sunk my boat.”

“By Jove!” I exclaimed, “I wonder if it had.  They seem to be mischievous devils.”

Mr. Gow nodded emphatically.  “They are, sir, and that’s a fact.  ’Tis time somebody took a quiet look round that house o’ theirs, some day when they ain’t there.”

How very nearly this desirable object had been achieved on the previous evening I thought it unnecessary to mention, but I was hugely relieved to learn that so far there was no suspicion as to who was really responsible for the damage to the creek.  Apart from the inconvenience which it would have entailed, to be arrested for blowing up a bit of mud in a Thames backwater would have been a sad come-down for a convicted murderer!

As soon as he had provided me with some breakfast, Mr. Gow departed for Tilbury with my letter to McMurtrie in his pocket.  He was away for a couple of hours, returning with a copy of the Daily Mail and the information that there were no letters for me at the post-office.