Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE A fresh-faced boy with tousled hair came rushing over to them, grinning. 'Hallo, all of you,' he said. It was Alf, and he was followed by a man with a weather-beaten face, white hair and

eyes as blue as the sea. 'This is my grandfather,' he said. 'Very pleased to meet you,' said Julian, holding out his hand. 'I'm Julian. This is my brother Dick and my sister Anne, and this is our cousin George.' 'It's lovely to meet you all. And who's this handsome fellow?' 'This is my dog, Timmy,' said George, beaming.

'Happy Birthday, Alf,' said Julian, handing him the parcel. 'Go on, open it now!' Alf tore off the paper and exclaimed with delight when he saw the book inside. Then he opened Dick's present and blew the whistle. 'And here's one from me,' said George, holding out her present. 'But you need to open it carefully as it's a little fragile.'

Alf slowly peeled back the paper. 'Oh, what a beautiful box!' he cried, lifting the lid. 'It's just the thing for storing my fishing tackle.' Alf's grandfather was looking very closely at the gleaming box. 'Well, I never!' he whispered to himself. 'I can't believe it. I've seen this box before, long, long ago. You've heard stories about your great-grandfather, Alf? The one you were named after?'

The boy nodded. 'He was a skilled sailor, and this box belonged to him. I used to help him pack his things inside it before he went on long trips at sea, but it was lost during a terrible storm when his ship was wrecked. I never thought I'd see it again! Wherever did you find it?'

'It was down on the beach,' said George. 'Washed up with the tide.' 'But how can you be sure it's the same box?' asked Julian. 'Look here, the man replied. He lifted up one of the sides to reveal a hidden compartment. A drawer popped out, and inside was a small golden compass. It had glass over the front and a red arrow across the middle and there were some initials engraved on the back casing. AC.M