er isn't expected
until six, and go scrambling about on the rocks, getting sea-birds'
eggs, saying that you'll only be five minutes, and then stay an hour!'

The child spoke in little rushes and gushes, and her eyes twinkled and
looked pathetic by turns in her little dark, round face.

'An hour, Tricksy! It can't have been so long as that!'

'Indeed it was, Marjorie, because I have Reggie's watch; he left it
with me, and it has been rather tiresome waiting here, when you know I
mayn't climb the rocks as you do.'

'Poor Tricksy, what a shame! It's too bad of us, leaving you alone all
that time. Just wait until you are a year or two older, and then your
mother will let you climb like the rest of us. Who would have thought
that we had been away so long! Time _does_ go so quickly when you're
scrambling about for eggs!'

She looked around with bright, fearless blue eyes; a tall, slight girl
of fifteen, with a face so tanned by sun and wind as almost to have
lost its extreme fairness, and with the quick, free movements which
speak of perfect health and an open-air life.

'Hulloa,' said Reggie suddenly; 'there's the steamer!'

'Where?' asked both the girls eagerly.

'Over there, just rounding the headland, quite in the distance; you can
see the trail of smoke, She won't be in for some time yet.'

For a minute or two the young people stood watching the grey line upon
the horizon; then Marjorie said--

'She's coming along pretty quickly. Hadn't we better call the others
and let them know?'

'Yes, do,' said Reggie; and hollowing their hands, they shouted,
'Neil!--Hamish!--hulloa!--the steamer!'

Their voices were blown back to them by the wind; but the lad on the
rope happening to look up, the others pointed energetically out to sea,
where the hull of the steamer was now becoming visible.

The boy glanced round; then climbed quickly hand over hand up the rope,
and joined the others.

'The steamer at last,' said Reggie. 'See, she is just rounding Erricha
Point now; she won't be long in coming in. Isn't it jolly about the
measles, Neil?'

'Jolly for those who didn't happen to take them,' suggested Marjorie.

'Allan's holidays began six weeks sooner than they would have done if
the boys hadn't all been sent home,' continued Reggie.

'He is coming just when we're having the best fun,' said Marjorie,
watching the steamer with thoughtful eyes; 'what jolly times we'll have
now. That was an awfully good idea