on for days and days without anything to eat, or be
shipwrecked on a desert island like Robinson Crusoe, and have to cling
to broken masts and spars?"

"We're all right; don't make such a fuss!" said Charlie, glancing
uneasily, however, at the long waves ahead. They were crossing the bar,
and the water was rough outside the harbour.

"I _know_ we're going to be drowned!" moaned Belle. "It's your fault,
Charlie. You ought never to have brought us."

"Well, I like that!" retorted Charlie, with some heat, "when it was you
who first thought of it, and asked me to take you. I suppose you'll be
saying I cut the painter next."

"You want to throw the blame on me!" declared Belle.

"No, I don't; but there's such a thing as fair play."

"O Charlie, it doesn't matter whose fault it was now," said Isobel. "I
suppose in a way it's all our faults for getting in, to begin with.
Couldn't we somehow raise a signal of distress? Suppose you tie my
handkerchief to the scull, and hoist it up like a flag. Some ship might
notice it."

"Not a bad idea," said Charlie, who by this time wished himself well out
of the scrape. "You've a head on your shoulders, though I did call you a
land-lubber."

Between them they managed to tie on the handkerchief and hoist the oar,
and as their improvised flag fluttered in the wind they hoped
desperately that it might bring some friendly vessel to their aid.

They had quite cleared the harbour by now; the sea was rough, and the
current still carried them on fast. Isobel sat with her arm round poor
little Hilda, who clung to her very closely, watching the water with a
white, frightened face, though she was too plucky to cry. Belle, who had
completely lost self-control, was huddled down in the bows, shaking with
hysterical sobs, and uttering shrieks every time the boat struck a
bigger wave than usual.

"I wonder no one in the harbour noticed us set off," said Isobel after a
time, when the land seemed to be growing more and more distant behind
them.

"They were busy packing the herrings," replied Charlie, "and you see we
started from round the corner. Our only chance now is meeting some boat
coming from Ferndale. I say! do you think that's a sail over there?"

"It is!" cried Isobel. "Let us hold the flag up higher, and we'll call
'Help!' as loud as we can. Sound carries so far over water, perhaps they
might hear us."

"Ahoy there!" yelled Charlie, with the full strength of his lungs. "Boat
ahoy!"