faint
hail answered him and Perry stowed the milk-can in the bow of the little
boat and seated himself to wait. A few minutes later, as Han still
tarried, he shouted again. This time there was no reply however, and
Perry muttered impatiently and found a more comfortable position. When
some five minutes more had passed he got to his feet and yelled at the
top of his lungs. "Get a move on, Han! The milk's getting sour and I'm
getting cold!" he shouted. An answering cry came from closer by, but
what it was that Han said Perry couldn't make out. He turned his coat
collar up, plunged hands in pockets and viewed the grey mist
scowlingly. Then he began to listen for footsteps crunching the sand.
But no sound save the lapping of water on the beach and the creaking of
a boom on an unseen boat reached him.

"It would serve him right to leave him here," he muttered resentfully.
"Anyway, I'm not going to yell at him any more. I suppose he's so taken
up with his poison-ivy business that he can't think of anything else.
Wonder if I got into that stuff, too!" The idea was distinctly
unwelcome. He thought he recalled brushing through leaves as he crossed
the wall. He had never had any experience with poison-ivy and didn't
know whether or not he was susceptible, but it seemed to him that there
was a distinct itching sensation on his back. He squirmed uncomfortably.
Then a prickly feeling on his left wrist set him to rubbing it. He
examined the skin and, sure enough, it was quite red! He had it, too!
You had blisters all over you, Han had said. Perry looked for blisters
but found none. Still, he reflected miserably, it was probably too early
for them yet. He suddenly found himself rubbing his right wrist too. And
that, also, was distinctly inflamed looking, although not so red as the
other. Gee, he'd ought to do something! Alcohol! That was it! He ought
to bathe the places in alcohol! He jumped out of the dingey, pushed it
down the beach into the water and sprawled across the bow. Then he
shoved further off with an oar and sudsided onto a seat.

"Back in ten minutes for you, Han!" he shouted. "You wait here! I'll
bring some alcohol!"

When a dozen choppy strokes had taken him out of sight of the shore his
panic subsided a little and two thoughts came to him. The first was that
he was treating Han rather scurvilly and the second was that he hadn't
more than the haziest notion where the _Adventurer_ lay! But, having
embarked, he kept o