wn to the deck.

Then Paul gave a cry of joy and sprang wildly to the side of the boat.

"Say, how's this for luck, fellows?" he cried. "I thought it was another
boat and that we were bound for Davy Jones' locker sure, and here it's
the dock instead. Say, talk about luck! I'll say it's grand!"

"The dock!" the others echoed wonderingly. The sudden relief was so great
that they were feeling rather dazed.

"You mean it's our dock--Lighthouse Island?" Connie asked stupidly, and
Paul's answer was impatient.

"I guess it is--looks like it," he said. "But then it doesn't matter much
what dock it is as long as it's _a_ dock. What do you people say to going
ashore?"

What they said was soon shown by the eagerness with which they scrambled
on to the dock. And when they found that it was really Lighthouse Island
dock their thankfulness was mixed with awe.

"Why, it's a miracle!" said Vi, staring wide-eyed about her.

"That's just about what it looks like," agreed Chet soberly.

"A miracle!" exclaimed Ferd derisively. "It's just that the wind and the
tide happened to be going in the right way, that's all."

"Well, it's a miracle that the wind and the tide did happen to be going
the right way," retorted Laura.

"Yes, and it's another miracle," said Billie softly, "that even with the
wind and the tide going the right way we didn't run into something before
we got here."

"I guess we did come pretty close to it," said Teddy soberly, staring out
into the heavy mist that still showed no sign of lifting. "I don't know
about the rest of you, but I do know that I'm mighty glad to be on the
good old ground again. It beats the water, just now."

"You bet," said Paul fervently, as he made his boat fast to the dock. "It
would have been a hot note if I'd had to lose my boat that way after
working all year to earn it."

The girls and boys stared at him in surprise for a moment. Then they
laughed, and the laughter broke the tension that they had been under and
made them feel more natural.

"Never mind us as long as you saved your boat," said Ferd with a chuckle.
"Come on, folks. It's mighty damp out here. I'll be glad when we can get
under cover and dry out a bit. Gee, but I'll say I'm some wet."

"And Mother will be just worried to death," cried Connie penitently, for
this was the very first minute she had given her mother a thought. "Oh,
let's hurry."

They were starting off almost at a run when Billie called to them.

"D