Page:Ruth Fielding at Lighthouse Point.djvu/187

Rh somethin' about whar I kin find this yere reptile by the name of Crab—though I reckon a crab is a inseck, not a reptile," and the ranchman grinned ruefully.

The young folks could scarcely control their laughter at this, and the idea that a crustacean might be an insect was never forgotten by the Cameron twins and Ruth Fielding.

"I dunno where he is," said Mother Purling, shortly. "I can't keep track of the shiftless critter. Ha'f the time when he oughter be here he's out fishing in the dory, yonder—or over to Thimble Island."

"Which is Thimble Island?" asked Tom, quickly.

"Just yon," said the lighthouse keeper, pointing to a cone-shaped rock—perhaps an imaginative person would call it thimble-shaped—lying not far off shore. The lumber schooner had gone on the reef not far from it.

"Ain't no likelihood of his being over thar now, Missus?" asked Mr. Hicks, quickly.

"An' ye could purty nigh throw a stone to it!" scoffed the old woman. "Not likely. B'sides, I dunno as there's a landin' on the island 'ceptin' at low tide. I reckon if he's hidin', Jack Crab is farther away than the Thimble. But I don't know nothin' about him. And I can't accept no money for him—that's all there is to that."