'Tear me, young ladies and gentlemen,' said Duncan, 'we will hev peen looking for you ahl over the house and grounds. The Sheriff iss here from Stornwell and the minister iss come to call, and the laird says as it iss such a ferry fine day he iss going to take effery one out for a sail in the yacht, and Dr. and Mrs. MacGregor iss come, and we are to hev lunch on board and go over to Alvasay, and afterwards if there iss time we will pe stopping at the Corrachin Caves, for Mr. Graham says he will pe liking to explore them; and here we will ahl pe waiting for you, young ladies and chentlemen.'

Marjorie's lips tightened.

'Look here, Duncan,' she said, after Hamish, followed consolingly by Tricksy, had pa.s.sed out of hearing, 'we must make them too late for the caves.'

'Indeed, Miss Marjorie, we will hev to keep them out whateffer,' said Duncan, 'Mr. Graham's eyes will pe ferry sharp, he iss as bad as Mr.

Harry, who is notticing efferything. But there iss ta laird, Miss Marjorie, he will pe calling to me to come with ta lunch baskets, I will hev to go.'

The hall was a scene of animation. The Sheriff was standing talking to Mrs. MacGregor and receiving defiant glances from Tricksy; the minister, an elderly man with white hair and stooping shoulders, stood somewhat apart; the other gentlemen were collecting rugs and fishing tackle, and Harry and Gerald were jumping about, asking questions and getting in every one's way.

'Rob MacLean has come to say that the _Kelpie_ iss all ready, sir,'

said Duncan, who among his other avocations sailed his master's yacht.

'Don't let us wait any longer then,' said the laird; 'we shall not have time to visit the caves this evening if we miss the tide.'

Two trips of the _Mermaid_--the Craft only when her young owners were by themselves--conveyed the entire party on board the _Kelpie_, whose crew, consisting of Rob MacLean and another crofter, were in readiness.

'We must manage not to go to the caves, Rob,' said Marjorie as she pa.s.sed.

'Aye, Miss Marjorie, she will not pe going to the caves to-day,' said the Highlander grimly.

It was a glorious day for a sail, and the young people's spirits rose in spite of themselves. There was enough wind to fill out the sails and make the vessel skim swiftly over the water, but not enough to make any one in the least uncomfortable, and the waves were dancing in the sunlight.

'Do you see that island over there?' said Marjorie to Harry, who was looking about him with sparkling eyes; 'that high one beyond all the little skerries? That's where we're going; it's an awfully jolly place, there's a fine loch with sea trout in it and a capital beach.'

Harry looked at the island, and then at the water tumbling and foaming in the vessel's wake; and then he began to look about for some more active occupation. The ladies were talking to their guests and pointing out the interesting places as they pa.s.sed, and Gerald and Tricksy were sitting soberly in a corner by themselves. Mr. Stewart and Dr. MacGregor were busy with the sailing of the vessel, which seemed to require a great deal of management at this stage; and Harry's soul became filled with envy as he saw the other boys helping them dexterously as though they had pa.s.sed their lives on board a ship.

Seeing Reggie perched half-way up the mast, helping to shake out a sail, Harry tried to scramble up after him, but Hamish ordered him down.

Harry turned and looked up with an indignant stare.

The elder boy, who seemed almost grown-up in his yachting suit, met the look with his usual good-natured smile, but did not seem disposed to be trifled with.

'You had better begin when the vessel's steady,' he said; 'it would never do to fall overboard while she's going along at this rate.'

'Why,' said Harry; 'couldn't you lower a boat?'

'It would not do you much good,' said Hamish. 'The current's flowing pretty rapidly one way, and the wind's driving us along at a fair speed in exactly the opposite direction; you might be carried miles out into the open before we could get a boat out.'

Harry went to the side and looked down at the water that was eddying past.

'It wouldn't be at all nice to fall overboard here, would it?' said Marjorie, who seemed to be blown along the deck, her hair flying in the wind. 'It will soon be over now, and see how near the island has been getting; we'll be there in no time.'

She hurried off to help in the coiling of the ropes, and in about half-an-hour the _Kelpie_ was brought alongside the rude stone pier of Alvasay.

First came a walk to a wonderful rocky fiord, where the stones that were thrown down rebounded from side to side, and finally landed with a dull thud in some stagnant-looking water at the bottom. Afterwards, the day being hot, boys and girls scattered for a bathe.

'I can swim twice across the school swimming-bath,' said Harry, picking his way barefoot over the rocks and shivering a little, for although the sun was hot, the wind seemed cold when one had nothing on.

'You'll find it a bit rough with these waves against you,' said Reggie briefly.

'Far jollier,' said Harry, looking at the pebbles underneath the bright waves and the ma.s.ses of seaweed swaying to and fro--'ugh, it is cold though!'

When his splash had subsided he saw the island boys swimming far ahead of him. In a little while he began to feel tired, and the waves seemed to be growing bigger and bigger, and stronger and stronger. When he was able to see over their crests he could make out the other two sitting upon a rock which raised its head out of the water, and waiting for him.

After considerable efforts he reached the islet, grasped a point of rock, and drew himself on to dry land.

The others looked at him approvingly. Gerald was still splashing in shallow water near the sh.o.r.e.

'Good for you,' said Reggie; 'it's a pretty stiff sea for a fellow who has only practised in a swimming-bath.'

Harry did not look quite pleased.

'I say,' began Allan, 'look at Gerald, he's actually trying to come out to us. He is a plucky little chap.'

'That he is,' said Hamish. 'I'll swim back and see if I can help him.'

He dropped into the water and swam to meet Gerald, who was struggling gallantly along, making very wry faces, and swallowing quant.i.ties of water. With the bigger boy swimming by his side and occasionally helping him Gerald got along fairly well, and in a little while clambered on to the rocks, looking exceedingly happy.

Diving from steep places and swimming until they were tired, then getting out and sunning themselves on the warm rocks or sand of the little islets, running races and pushing each other into the water, the time pa.s.sed quickly, and they were all surprised when Duncan came in view signalling that tea was ready.

They had been in the water long enough, for their teeth were chattering and they could hardly get into their clothes for trembling.

'I say,' began Harry with chattering teeth, 'you fellows ought to learn to tread water and to swim on the side. They teach these things at the swimming-baths. The ordinary kind of swimming does well enough in a place like this----'

'It's the best way of getting along, I should say,' suggested Reggie.

'Yes,' said Harry rather contemptuously; 'getting along is all very well; but when you're swimming where a lot of people see you, you like to be able to do the fancy strokes. You need to have lessons for these things though.'

Reggie's dark, serious eyes exchanged a glance with Allan's amused ones.

'Good thing Marjorie isn't here,' observed Allan in an aside; and the other boys grinned as they thought of the way in which Marjorie always had a reply ready for Harry when he was caught boasting.

'What's that?' said Harry, his head popping out of the opening of his shirt.

Allan was saved from the necessity of replying by the reappearance of Duncan, to say that 'The young gentlemen wa.s.s to please mek haste and come at once, as effery one wa.s.s waiting for them.'

During the walk from the bathing-place Allan was very silent, and all tea-time he watched Reggie and Harry thoughtfully, and was evidently revolving something in his mind.

After tea he took an opportunity of saying to Marjorie, 'Now, Marjorie, remember that we've got to make the _Kelpie_ late.'

'I'll try to get lost,' said Marjorie. 'I hope they won't go off without me though. You'd better lose yourself too, with one or two of the others; and they'll notice if so many are absent.'

'I'll do my best,' said Allan. 'I think we'll manage to keep them back an hour or so. You might come this way, Reggie, will you?'

Allan walked for some distance in silence, and Reggie began to wonder what was coming.

'Reggie,' began Allan, rather absently, 'have you been thinking that you're going to school next term?'