Page:Anderson--Isle of seven moons.djvu/331

Rh strong embrace wet her almost to the skin. Here in this paradise, no one cared for toilette, or fashions, or any such silly, shackling things, anyway. Nor did she notice that the black ostrich plume of the sleeping giant was larger even than on the night before.

The first cup of coffee was midway between the rock that served for a table, and her lips, when she jumped up suddenly, spilling the liquid in her haste.

"We forgot."

"What?"

"Five paces North!" she shouted joyously.

He whistled.

"Go to it, youngsters," interrupted the Captain. "But you'd better get breakfast first. We're going to, at any rate."

Swallowing a few hasty mouthfuls, they seized pick and shovel, and scampered over the beach. Somehow, Ben didn't move very swiftly this morning, and she beat him to the palm.

She started the measuring.

"Hold on, that won't do," he called. "Your legs are not as long as a pirate's, Sally."

So he paced off the distance that a normal man would cover in the measurement apparently specified by the chart, and soon his shovel was working away, a little more stiffly and painfully than on the day before, but right willingly nevertheless. Soon the others joined them, relieving Sally, who hovered over the designated spot in almost an ecstasy of excitement.

Deeper and wider grew the trench. Each time the implements rang on something harder than the sand and gravel, the