“I should think we must be about the only people out this morning!” gasped George.

“Well, you’re wrong,” said Julian. “There are two people coming towards us!”

So there was. They were a man and a boy, both well wrapped up in macintoshes and sou’-westers. Like the children, they too wore high rubber boots.

The children took a look at them as they passed. The man was tall and well built, with shaggy eyebrows and a determined mouth. The boy was about sixteen, also tall and well built. He was not a bad-looking boy, but he had rather a sullen expression.

“Good morning,” said the man, and nodded. “Good morning,” chorused the children, politely. The man looked them over keenly, and then he and the boy went on.

“Wonder who they are?” said George. “Mother didn’t say there were any new people here.”

“Just walked over from the next village, I expect,” said Dick.

They went on for some way. “We’ll walk to the coastguard’s cottage and then go back,” said Julian. “Hi, Tim, don’t go so near the cliff!”

The coastguard lived in a little whitewashed cottage on the cliff, facing the sea. Two other cottages stood beside it, also whitewashed. The children knew the coastguard well. He was a red-faced, barrel-shaped man, fond of joking.

He was nowhere to be seen when they came to his cottage. Then they heard his enormous voice singing a sea-shanty in the little shed behind. They went to find him.

“Hallo, coastguard,” said Anne.

He looked up and grinned at the children. He was busy making something. “Hallo to you!” he said. “So you’re back again are you? Bad pennies, the lot of you — always turning up when you’re not wanted!”

“What are you making?” asked Anne.

“A windmill for my young grandson,” said the coastguard, showing it to Anne. He was very clever at making toys.

“Oh, it’s lovely,” said Anne, taking it in her hands. “Does the windmill part go round — oh yes — it’s super, coastguard!”

“I’ve been making quite a bit of money out of my toys,” said the old fellow, proudly. “I’ve got some new neighbours in the next cottage — man and a boy — and the man’s been buying all the toys I make. Seems to have a lot of nephews and nieces! He gives me good prices too.”

“Oh — would that be the man and the boy we met, I wonder?” said Dick. “Both tall, and well built — and the man had shaggy eyebrows.”

“That’s right,” said the coastguard, trimming a bit of his windmill. “Mr Curton and his son. They came here some weeks ago. You ought to get to know the son, Master Julian. He’s about your age, I should think. Must be pretty lonely for him up here?”

“Doesn’t he go to any school?” asked Julian.

“No. He’s been ill, so his father said. Got to have plenty of sea-air and that sort of thing. Not a bad sort of boy. He comes and helps me with my toys sometimes. And he likes to mess about with my telescope.”