continent."

Terry looked round, and there, truly, was land on the other side of them to
which their backs had been turned while they were straining their eyes
towards home.

"It's an island," said Terry. "Nurse often said there were islands out
here. How are we going to catch on to it?"

"The tide is taking us slap up against it," said Turly. A few minutes later
they went bang into a rock; the boat made a somersault, flung the children
high and dry, and "ran off with itself, laughing", as Turly said
afterwards.

When they were able to pick themselves up, and to look around, they
perceived that the rock on which they were perched was right in the little
harbour of an island. There was still daylight enough to see the houses on
the island and the people walking about the beach. No one noticed them for
some time, and at last they took off their hats and waved them, and
shouted.

Then they saw a man in the dress of a fisherman look up and stand staring
at them as if he did not believe they were human children.

"I suppose he thinks we're mermaids," said Terry. "I hope he won't, because
then he might leave us here all night."

"We haven't got fishes' tails," said Turly; "anyone could see that. I don't
believe he's such a stupid. See, he's pointing us out to another man! Oh,
they'll come for us in a boat! And then it will be fun to have discovered
an island."

"I think it's quite an old island," said Terry. "We haven't discovered
it."

"Now don't you go and spoil things," said Turly. "I mean to discover it."

They soon saw that the fishermen were really coming for them, and not a bit
too soon, for the tide was rising round their rock, and, besides, they were
so cold and hungry that their courage was nearly exhausted.

"Now, will ye tell me where did the pair of ye come from?" said one of the
men. "Is it down out of heaven ye are, or up out of the sea? By my word I'm
not sure at all about takin' the like o' ye into my boat."

"Hold your tongue, man," said the other. "Don't you see the childher's
teeth are chatterin' out of their heads with the cold. Come in here, little
lady and gentleman, and then ye can tell us what bad ship threw you out of
it to where ye are."

"It wasn't a ship; it was a boat," said Turly. "And it was a queer boat.
First it ran away with us, and then it threw us out and made off with
itself."

"We got in to look at it only," said Terry. "It was tied to a rock, and the
rope got loose an