. The
Curlytops, looking back, had a last glimpse of the flickering blue light
as they hurried toward Cherry Farm, and they were a little frightened.

"What do you s'pose it is?" asked Jan.

"I don't know," answered Ted. "We'll ask Grandpa. Go on, Nicknack!"

CHAPTER II

WHAT THE FARMER TOLD

"Well, where in the world have you children been?"

"Didn't you know we'd be worried about you?"

"Did you get lost again?"

Mother Martin, Grandpa Martin and Grandma Martin took turns asking these
three questions as Ted and Jan drove up to the farmhouse in the darkness
a little later.

"You said you wouldn't stay late," went on Mother Martin, as the
Curlytops got out of the goat-wagon.

"We didn't mean to, Mother," said Ted.

"Oh, but we're so scared!" exclaimed Jan, and as Grandma Martin put her
arms about the little girl she felt Jan's heart beating faster than
usual.

"Why, what is the matter?" asked the old lady.

"Me wants a wide wif Nicknack!" demanded Baby William, as he stood
beside his mother in the doorway.

"No, Trouble. Not now," answered Ted. "Nicknack is tired and has to have
his supper. Is there any supper left for us?" he asked eagerly.

"Well, I guess we can find a cold potato, or something like it, for such
tramps as you," laughed Grandpa Martin. "But where on earth have you
been, and what kept you?"

Then Ted put Nicknack in the barn. But when he came back he and Jan
between them told of having stayed playing later than they meant to.

"Well, you got home only just in time," said Mother Martin as she took
the children to the dining-room for a late supper. "It's starting to
rain now."

And so it was, the big drops pelting down and splashing on the windows.

"But what frightened you, Jan?" asked Grandma Martin.

"It was a queer blue light on Star Island."

"A light on Star Island!" exclaimed her grandfather. "Nonsense! Nobody
stays on the island after dark unless it's a fisherman or two, and the
fish aren't biting well enough now to make anyone stay late to try to
catch them. You must have dreamed it--or made-believe."

"No, we really saw it!" declared Ted. "It was a fliskering blue light."

"Well, if there's any such thing there as a 'fliskering' blue light
we'll soon find out what it is," said Grandpa Martin.

"How?" asked Ted, his eyes wide open in wonder.

"By going there to see what it is. I'm going to take you two Curlytops
to camp on Star Island, and if there's anythi