ffectionately. "I should hate
to think of you over here all alone."

"If I were here alone," said Patty, laughing, "you wouldn't be thinking
of me as here alone. You'd just be wondering where I was."

"So I would," said Bertha, laughing, too; "but oh, Patty, do let's do
_something!_ It's fearful to sit here helpless like this."

"I know it," said Patty, "but what can we do? We're just like Robinson
Crusoe and his man Friday, except that we haven't any goat."

"No, and we haven't any raft, from which to select that array of useful
articles that he had at his disposal. Do you remember the little bag,
that always held everything that could possibly be required?"

"Oh, that was in 'Swiss Family Robinson,'" said Patty; "your early
education is getting mixed up. I hope being cast on a desert island
hasn't affected your brain. I don't want to be over here with a lunatic."

"You will be, if this keeps up much longer," said poor Bertha, who was of
an emotional nature, and was bravely trying hard not to cry.

"We might make a fire," said Patty, "if we only had some paper and
matches."

"I don't know what good a fire would do. Nobody would think that meant
anything especial. I wish we could put up a bigger signal of some sort."

"We haven't any bigger signal, and if we had, we haven't any way of
raising it any higher than these silly low bushes. I never saw an island
so poorly furnished for the accommodation of two young lady Crusoes."

"I never did, either. I'm going to shout again."

"Do, if it amuses you, but truly they can't hear you. It's too far."

"What do you think will happen, Patty? Do you suppose we'll have to stay
here all night?"

"I don't know," said Patty, slowly. "Of course when it's time for the
fair to open, and we're not there, they'll miss us; and of course papa
will begin a search at once. But the trouble is, Bertha, they'll never
think of searching over here. They'll look in every other direction, but
they'll never dream that we came out in the boat."

So the girls sat and waited, growing more and more down-hearted, with
that peculiar despondency which accompanies enforced idleness in a
desperate situation.

"Look!" cried Patty, suddenly, and startled, Bertha looked where Patty
pointed.

Yes, surely, a boat had put out from the shore, and was coming toward
them. At least it was headed for the island, though not directly toward
where they sat.

"They're going to land farther down," cried Pa