"You dear auntie Polly! How glad I am to see you again!" "So am I, me dearie, to say you," replied the other, with the slightest wee bit of a brogue, aunt Polly having been born in the North of Ireland, where blue eyes with black hair and brogues are common; "an' Bob, too, the darlint! How are you, me boy!" "All right, auntie, right as a jiffy," said he brightly, greeting her with like effusion to his sister.

"Really, I don't know when I was so glad as I am to come down here to the sea and see you.

Hullo, though, I'm forgetting about Rover!" With these words, Master Bob darted down the platform to the guard's van at the end of the train, with Miss Nellie cantering after him; both leaving their newly-met aunt as unceremoniously as the Captain had tumbled against her on emerging from the carriage the moment before! However, Mrs Gilmour did not appear to mind this, only exchanging a smile with the old sailor, who of course remained beside her; while Dick, as if anxious to make some return for the kindness shown him, had started taking the children's traps out of the train without waiting for any one's orders.
As for the Captain, he had no luggage beyond the queer-looking malacca walking-stick called a `Penang lawyer' which he held in his hand, never troubling himself with `stray dunnage,' as he said, when travelling by railway.
Bob and Nellie were presently seen in the distance, in close colloquy with the guard, who, after a bit, lugged out from his van, with much deliberation of movement and `gingerliness' of manner, a huge black retriever, who apparently did not wish just then to issue forth from his retreat.
No sooner, however, had the imprisoned animal once more touched the firm ground of the platform with his four paws, than, carried away with delight at being able to stand again on something that wasn't moving, he suddenly wrenched himself free from the guard and began plunging about in a mad gambol around.
"Come here, Rover!" cried Bob.

"Come here, Rover!" echoed Nellie, alike in vain; for, although Rover approached and jumped up on each in turn in expression of his pleasure at seeing them, he would dart away the next instant out of reach, evidently afraid lest the chain should be taken hold of, and he be boxed up again in purgatory.

He would not attend to any, "Come here, sir!" "He's too artful to be caught, sir," said the guard, laughing at the dog's antics.