a cork in there
and it comes out hard when you shoot it. It would kill anyone,"
impressively, "if you did it near enough to them and at the right
place. An' I've got a dormouse, an' a punchball, an' a box of things,
an' a football, but they wouldn't let me bring them," bitterly.

"It's a _lovely_ skin," said the little girl. "What's your name?"

"William. What's yours?"

"Peggy."

"Well, let's be on a desert island, shall we? An' nothin' to eat nor
anything, shall we? Come on."

She nodded eagerly.

"How _lovely_!"

They wandered out on to the promenade, and among a large crowd of
passers-by bemoaned the lonely emptiness of the island and scanned the
horizon for a sail. In the far distance on the cliffs could be seen
the figures of Mr. Percival Jones and William's sister, walking slowly
away from the town.

At last they turned towards the hut.

"We must find somethin' to eat," said William firmly. "We can't let
ourselves starve to death."

"Shrimps?" suggested Peggy cheerfully.

"We haven't got nets," said William. "We couldn't save them from the
wreck."

"Periwinkles?"

"There aren't any on this island. I know! Seaweed! An' we'll cook it."

"Oh, how _lovely_!"

He gathered up a handful of seaweed and they entered the hut, leaving
a white handkerchief tied on to the door to attract the attention of
any passing ship. The hut was provided with a gas ring and William,
disregarding his family's express injunction, lit this and put on a
saucepan filled with water and seaweed.

"We'll pretend it's a wood fire," he said. "We couldn't make a real
wood fire out on the prom. They'd stop us. So we'll pretend this is.
An' we'll pretend we saved a saucepan from the wreck."

After a few minutes he took off the pan and drew out a long green
strand.

"You eat it first," he said politely.

The smell of it was not pleasant. Peggy drew back.

"Oh, no, you first!"

"No, you," said William nobly. "You look hungrier than me."

She bit off a piece, chewed it, shut her eyes and swallowed.

"Now you," she said with a shade of vindictiveness in her voice.
"You're not going to not have any."

William took a mouthful and shivered.

"I think it's gone bad," he said critically.

Peggy's rosy face had paled.

"I'm going home," she said suddenly.

"You can't go home on a desert island," said William severely.

"Well, I'm going to be rescued then," she said.

"I think I am, too," said William.

It was lunch t