"I'm going to wade over, too," Penny said suddenly. "I'm nearly as tall as Jon, anyway, and I'm too heavy to carry. Come on, you two."

They reached the boat as Mr. Morton returned with Dickie.

Vasson had not much to say, but when Jon asked, "Is Mother all right? She did get the message that we were here, didn't she?" he nodded and merely said, "Ay, she did. She's all right," and then he moved the tiller and the little boat, very low in the water now, set off in the direction from which it had appeared.

Mr. Morton had some more chocolate and biscuits and another flask with him and insisted that they all have a hot drink and stop asking questions.

"Plenty of time for talk and questions when you've had a spell of bed. That's what you all need and that's what you're going to get just as soon as we can get you there... The car is at the bottom of Winchelsea Hill and I hope we'll be able to get there.

"How far has the sea come in, sir?" Jon asked. "We saw the bank break, you know, and it all came rushing through."

"Almost to Winchelsea. It's got there again after hundreds of years. We shan't get much farther in the boat, but there's a chap with a car just here who will give us a lift and then I suppose someone will take the boat back full of workmen again... They only got the motor boats over from Rye by road about an hour ago... Somewhere just here, wasn't it, Vasson?"

"Yes, sir," said the porter. "Back of this bungalow with a red sundial and the high rockery. We got in from the rockery and I'll tie up here again... Now then, out you get."

They splashed through the puddles in the strange back garden and found a cheerful, bald little man in an old car in the front. The road was covered with water, but it was not very deep and before long they reached the foot of Winchelsea Hill. Although it was so early and the sun was only just up, there were crowds of people standing about in groups with piles of luggage, and many more coming down the hill to see what had happened. Their driver was paid and thanked and Vasson said:

"If you'll wait here, sir, I'll go and find your car which we parked up the lane somewhere. I'll pick you up here in a few minutes."

While they were waiting for him they strolled up the hill and looked at the amazing scene of the levels covered with water which was shining pink in the sunrise. Under the old cliff where the ground was higher, hundreds of sheep were jostling each other frantically and baaing in panic. But many hundreds of valuable sheep were lost that night.

"I want a bath," Penny said suddenly. "I bet I look a sight."