Page:Leah Reed--Brenda's summer at Rockley.djvu/116

102 to the “Crusoe,” to convey Mrs. Barlow and the three girls to the smaller boat.

When this was settled, Philip and his skipper steamed away in the launch, and the Barlow party took their places  in the long boat, rowed by two men, which Mr. Elston  had sent for them. Mr. and Mrs. Barlow and Brenda had so often been taken out to the “Crusoe” that they  would have recognized the men at once, even if their  white caps had not been encircled with broad blue bands,  bearing the name “Crusoe” in gilt letters.

The two men rowed steadily and swiftly, and in a very short time they were near the yacht, which lay at anchor  far out toward the mouth of the harbor.

Mr. Elston stood at the bow, ready to welcome them; and although Julia’s heart sank a little as she saw that  she must climb a little ladder to reach the deck, she  screwed up her courage as well as she could, and, following the example of the others, reached the deck without  any mishap.

Once safely there, after a cordial welcome from Mr. Elston, she looked around the boat with admiration. How bright and clean the deck! “Too clean for a mortal foot to walk on,” said Julia, as she looked at it. “I should think that it would distress your housemaid to  know that we are walking about on it.”

“Housemaid!” laughed Brenda. “Why, Julia, you are a regular land-lubber! All the work on a yacht is done by men—the very men who brought us over. Is n’t that so, cousin Edward?”