f the dyke just as
Marjorie was coming out of the hut.

'Look here,' he began, planting himself in front of her, with a flush
rising to his face; 'I apologise! but it's because I shouldn't have hit
you and not because you held me.'

'It's all right,' said Marjorie, who was sorry that she had lost her
temper; 'don't let's think of it any more but come and have tea.'

The other boys tried to drown any lingering embarrassment by talking
very fast, and the meal became an animated, if not a merry one.

'Hark,' said Reggie suddenly, 'what's that?'

They all became silent and listened, Allan standing up. A deep rushing
noise was filling the cottage, and rapidly increasing in volume.

'It's the tide-way,' said Reggie; 'we've forgotten to keep a look-out.'

All trooped out of the cottage and looked at the angry current which
was sweeping past both shores of the island.

'Here's a jolly go,' said Allan; 'we shan't get home to-night.'

Tricksy looked frightened and Harry amazed, but Marjorie's face cleared
and she jumped up and clapped her hands with glee.

'Oh, hooray, hooray,' she said; 'just what I always wanted. We'll have
to spend the night in the cottage. Oh, what fun!'

'But won't Mrs. Stewart be frightened?' suggested Gerald, the
thoughtful boy.

'Not she,' said Marjorie; 'she knows that we can take care of
ourselves; besides, Father and Mr. Stewart made us promise that if we
were surrounded by a tide-way we were not to try to come home, however
long we might have to wait. It would be quite impossible for us to row
across. We must make up our minds to spend the night here.'

They remained out of doors a little longer, discussing the situation,
while the red turned to grey beyond the far-off islands; then they went
indoors to make preparations for the night.

Fresh peats were cast on the fire, and the stores of cut heather were
brought out and laid on the floor to serve as beds. Marjorie lighted
the lamp which hung from the ceiling, and its smoky glare lighted up a
circle of eager, wakeful faces.

The novelty of their surroundings, together with the voice of the
current, which was running deep and swift round their tiny strip of an
island, took from them all disposition to sleep during the early part
of the night. It was not until the lamp had burnt out, and Tricksy's
head had sunk heavily against Marjorie's knee that the rushing became
fainter and finally died away, and one by one the listeners drop