owed Frank to
steer. When we're out for an adventure we ought to be as adventurous as
possible."

"They're trying the passage through Craggeen," said Priscilla, with her
eyes on Flanagan's old boat "That shows they're pretty desperate. Hand
me the peppermint creams. There's jolly little water there at this time
of the tide. It'll be sheer luck if they get through."

"Take five or six peppermints," said Miss Rutherford, "if you feel that
they'll steady your nerves. You'll want something of the sort I feel
thrills down to the tips of my fingers."

Flanagan's old boat ran on. Seen from the _Tortoise_ she seemed to
pass through an unbroken line of rocks. She twisted and turned now
southwards, now west, now northwards. The _Tortoise_ sped after her.

"Now, Cousin Frank," said Priscilla, "get hold of the centreboard rope
and haul when I tell you. There'll be barely water to float us, if
there's that. We'll never get through with the centreboard down."

She headed the boat straight for a gravelly spit of land past which
the tide swept in a rapid stream. A narrow passage opened suddenly.
Priscilla put the tiller down and the _Tortoise_ swept through. A mass
of floating seaweed met them. The _Tortoise_ fell off from the wind and
slipped inside it. A heavy bump followed.

"Up centreboard," said Priscilla. "I knew it was shallow."

Frank pulled vigorously. Another bump followed.

"Bother!" said Priscilla. "We're done now."

The _Tortoise_ swept up into the wind Her sails flapped helplessly.

"What's the matter?" said Miss Rutherford.

"Rudder's gone," said Priscilla. "That last bump unshipped it."

She held the useless tiller in her hand. The rudder, swept forward by
the tide, drifted away until it went ashore on a reef at the northern
end of the passage. The _Tortoise_, after making one or two ineffective
efforts to sail without a rudder, grounded on the beach of Craggeen
Island. Priscilla jumped out.

"Just you two sit where you are," said said, "and don't let the boat
drift. I'll run on to the point of the island and see where those spies
are going to. Then we'll get the rudder again and be after them."

"Frank," said Miss Rutherford, when Priscilla had disappeared, "have you
any idea how we are to keep the boat from drifting?"

"There's the anchor," said Frank.

"I don't trust that anchor a bit It's such a small one, and the boat
seems to me to be in a particularly lively mood."

The _Tortoise_, her bow pre