ying there on his mother's lap, so pinched and blue, and
seemingly so nearly lifeless.

French, were they?

Yes and no; for the father, a tall, stout young man, who looked like a
farmer, told Ford they were from Alsace, and spoke both languages.

"The child, was it sick?"

Not so much "sick" as dying of starvation and exposure. Oh, such a sad,
pleading look as the poor mother lifted to the moist eyes of Mrs.
Kinzer, when the portly widow pushed forward and bent over the silent
boy! Such a pretty child he must have been, and not over two years old;
but the salt water was in his tangled curls now, and his poor lips were
parted in a weak, sick way, that told of utter exhaustion.

"Can any thing be done, mother?"

"Yes, Dabney, there can. You and Ham and Ford and Frank go to the yacht,
quick as you can, and bring the spirit-heater, lamp and all, and bread
and milk, and every dry napkin and towel you can find. Bring Keziah's
shawl."

Such quick time they made across that sand-bar!

They were none too soon, either; for, as they came running down to their
boat a mean-looking, slouching sort of fellow walked rapidly away from
it.

"He was going to steal it!"

"Can't go for him now, Dab; but you'll have to mount guard here, while
we go back with the things."

There was a good deal of the "guard mounted" look in Dab's face, when
they left him, a few minutes later, standing there by the boat, and he
had one of the oars in his hand. An oar is almost as good a club as the
lower joint of a fishing-rod, and that was exactly the thought in Dab's
mind.

Ham and Frank and Ford hurried back to the other beach, to find that
Mrs. Kinzer had taken complete possession of that baby. Every rag of his
damp things was already stripped off; and now, while Miranda lighted the
"heater," and made some milk hot in a minute, the good lady began to rub
the little sufferer as only an experienced mother knows how.

Then there was a warm wrapping-up in cloths and shawls, and better
success than anybody had dreamed of in making the seemingly half-dead
child eat something.

"That was about all the matter with him," said Mrs. Kinzer. "Now, if we
can get him and his mother over to the house, we can save both of them.
Ford, how long did you say it was since they'd eaten any thing?"

"About three days, they say."

"Mercy on me! And that cabin of ours holds so little! Glad it's full,
anyhow. Let's get every thing out and over here, right away