you take this little spade.
This sharp piece of wood will be doing just as well for me.'

'And I've got a pointed piece of slate; I can scrape holes with that,'
said Allan. 'Take this old trowel, Marjorie; it hasn't a handle, but I
don't suppose you'll mind.'

For a long time the young people worked with a will. The sun beat down
upon the unshaded island, and the breeze blew in from the sea, bringing
a salt taste to the lips and blowing the girls' hair about. The waves
babbled round the shore, and the gulls sailed overhead and screamed.

When the sun's rays began to slant, and the pile of ferns was
diminishing, Neil kept glancing over his shoulder to watch the tide.

'There now, that's done,' said Reggie, pressing the earth round the
roots of the last fern and then rising; 'it's a jolly long time it has
taken us. What shall we do next?'

'I think we ought to go now,' said Hamish. 'What do you say, Neil?'

'It is high time we wass making a start,' said Neil. 'The tide iss
rising fast, and the beach iss half covered already.'

'What a pity,' said Tricksy regretfully; 'we've had such a jolly day of
it, haven't we, Marjorie?'

'Awfully jolly,' replied Marjorie; 'but we'll come again soon.--You'll
come too, won't you, Neil?'

'I will be coming as soon as I can be sparing the time, you may be sure
of that, Miss Marjorie,' replied the lad with a smile.

The dogs were recalled from the rabbit-holes and came, their faces
covered with sand, and the boat was pushed off from the shore.

Half-way across the firth, Marjorie turned and looked back regretfully.

'What a pity we have to go home,' she said. 'It would be awfully jolly
to spend all night in the cottage.'

'Look to your oar, Marjorie,' sang out Allan, for the boat was
beginning to turn round.

In a short time they reached the landing-stones, of which the lower
ones were already submerged.

'Won't you all look in and see Mother before you go home?' suggested
Neil, after the boat had been drawn up and secured to the
mooring-chain. 'She'd be pleased if you'd come and say good evening to
her; and Miss Tricksy, you would be seeing the little puffins that
Hamish gave you; Mother tells me that they're coming along finely.'

Mrs. Macdonnell's cottage was not far distant, and the young people
accepted Neil's invitation.

'I'll just tell Mother that you're here,' said Neil, lifting the latch
and vanishing in the interior of the cottage.

'I wonder who Mr