Page:Silver Shoal Light.djvu/301

 "Where, where did you find her?" she shouted. "Is she hurt?"

"Who? The Ailouros? Not in the least. Are you all right?" Jim called.

"Yes!" the castaways replied in chorus.

Joan slung the jug, basket, and shawl into the skiff, bundled Garth into the stern sheets, and pushed off for the sail-boat.

"Where was she?" Joan repeated eagerly, as Jim lifted his son aboard and held out a hand to her.

"Well," he said, "I went out on the gallery last evening at light-up time and took a look at Trasket with the glass. I saw the smoke of your fire and knew that you were there safe. Then my eyes happened to wander toward shore, and behold, the Ailouros nosing around Bird Rock. I went over in the dory and got her; she'd caught her anchor in a ledge and was neatly moored. I found everything most shipshape, boom lashed, rudder unshipped, halyards belayed—"

"Don't!" murmured Joan.

"So I saw at once what had happened. Stiff sea, not enough cable out, tide rising—" Joan nodded miserably. "So, naturally, she dragged