Page:A Wild-Goose Chase - Balmer - 1915.djvu/137

Rh clearly now at noon; but the rocks made a bad background for men darkly clad. Yet at last Margaret made out one speck and then another moving, then two more following over a ridge.

"There they come!" Her cry brought McNeal to her side. "They're neither walking together nor separated."

"They're no trying to signal us yet," McNeal said simply. "They'd no think we could see them."

The girl and the man stood together in silence. Below Linn was about his cooking. Michaelis, who had been busy, came up quietly, and stood a little away.

"Now they must know we see them," the girl said when the men were plainly in sight.

"Then they've no news," McNeal asserted.

"That would be bad news, and they'd signal it. They promised."

"Dip our colours and raise them again," McNeal commanded the mate. Michaelis obeyed.

"Ah, there they signal now!"

The four figures, far away on the shore, separated and walked at even distances apart.