Page:The Eight-Oared Victors.djvu/171

Rh "Gorgeous!" declared Madge. "It's just a perfect day."

O, perfect day! began Phil.

"Cut out the poetry," interrupted Tom. "There's a little snake crawling toward you, old man."

"Oh!" screamed four shrill voices, and there was a hasty scramble, until the snake was discovered to be only a tiny lizard, which the girls declared to be "just as bad."

Then came saunterings two-by-two off in woodland glades until it was time to think regretfully of returning to the island, for the shadows were lengthening.

It was just as they were about to start off in the little gasoline launch, which, strange to say, had been behaving wonderfully well that day, that they saw Mendez, the Mexican, rowing toward them in a small boat. He seemed in much of a hurry.

"Senors and senoritas!" he hailed them. "Wait a moment, I pray of you."

"Gracious—I hope nothing has happened at home!" exclaimed Madge Tyler, for her mother was not at the cottage.

"Perhaps it's a telegram for some of us," suggested Ruth. "Oh, dear, I do hope I don't have to go home."

They all regarded the approaching Mexican curiously.