k of sulky
menace.

"Miss Rutherford," said Priscilla, "wake up, we're going to have a
thunder storm."

Miss Rutherford sat up with a start

"A storm!" she said. "How splendid! Any chance of being wrecked?"

"Not at present," said Priscilla, "but you never know what may happen.
If you feel at all nervous I'll steer myself."

"Nervous!" said Miss Rutherford. "I'm delighted. There's nothing I
should like more than to be wrecked on a desert island with you two.
It would just complete the most glorious series of adventures I've ever
had. Do try and get wrecked."

"Hadn't we better go in to Inishbawn and wait till it's over?" said
Frank.

"Nonsense," said Priscilla. "Wetting won't hurt us, and anyway we'll be
at Inishminna in half an hour with this breeze."

The _Tortoise_ was racing through the dark water. She was listed over
so that her lee gunwale seemed likely to dip under. Miss Rutherford, in
spite of her wish for shipwreck, scrambled up to windward. They reached
the point of Ardilaun and fled, bending and staggering, down the narrow
passage between it and Inishlean. Priscilla took the mainsheet in her
hand and ordered Frank to luff a little. There was another period of
rushing, heavily listed, with the wind fair abeam. Now and then, as a
squall struck the sails, Priscilla let the mainsheet run out and allowed
the _Tortoise_ to right herself. The sea was flecked with the white tops
of short, steep waves, raised hurriedly, as it were irritably by the
wind. A few heavy drops of rain fell. The whole sky became very dark. A
bright zig-zag of light flashed down, the thunder crashed over head. The
rain came down like a solid sheet of water.

"Let her away again now," said Priscilla. "We can run right down on
Inishark. Be ready to round her up into the wind when I tell you. I
daren't jibe her."

"Don't," said Frank. "I say, you'd better steer."

"Can't now. We couldn't possibly change places. Are you all right, Miss
Rutherford?"

"Splendid. Couldn't be better. I'm soaked to the skin. Can't possibly be
any wetter even if we swim for it."

Inishark loomed, a low dark mass under their bow, dimly seen through a
veil of blinding rain which fell so heavily that the floor boards under
their feet were already awash.

"We'll have to bail in a minute or two if this goes on," said Priscilla.
"I wonder where the tin is?"

A roar of thunder drowned her voice. Miss Rutherford and Frank saw her
gesticulate wildly and poi