Part 28 (1/2)
”Through there,” said Miss Chase, pointing towards the
”Follow the blood track He can't go fast I winged him”
CHAPTER XV
WHO IS IN THE BOAT?
”Really, Miss Chase,” said Bob next lad you didn't burst all your accohtened of you”
Miss Chase sht self
”I hope I didn't do an awfully wrong thing,” she said nervously; ”but I had only two definite ideas--one was to save Nesta, the other not to let the ht, Dorothy,” Mr Orban said; ”there would never have been any end to the worry until he was caught He may thank his stars I didn't find him out I should not have been so merciful”
”So that is why you aimed at his ankle, Aunt Dorothy?” said Eustace ”It was clever of you to think of la him”
”She says she did,” said Bob, the tease--”But are you quite sure, Miss Chase, that you really didn't aim at his head? For most women his ankle would have been wonderfully near the mark”
”I shall treat the aspersion with silent contehed Miss Chase
”Where did you learn to shoot like that, Dorothy?” asked Mrs
Orban
”Oh, I've patronized every shooting gallery that has cohteen years, I should think,” was the answer ”But, do you know, I feel most awfully re ti bandaged and resting on a chair; for the ht visitor on both occasions had been no other He confessed to the first performance quite readily, and declared that this second had been at the instigation of Sinkuoods, and give hiet hold of so out of the place He had long suspected hilishman in the store But Manuel, when he ell, was to be allowed to retrieve his character, as he protested vehemently he would
”You needn't worry about Manuel,” said Bob ”We shall all be co to you to shoot us, if you'll just bind us up as beautifully afterwards Did you learn that in the shooting galleries too, in case you put the showman's eye out?”
Miss Chase really did treat this speech with silent scorn, and changed the subject
The clearing up of the black-fellow h it co away,” said Mrs Orban
”Do you know, I don't feel a bit as if ere really going,” Miss Chase declared the very evening before their departure
All the same, when the next day came, they started in the plantation schooner for Cooktown, acco to see them off
The children found many excitements on the way; and when finally they were hoisted on board the big boat by means of a crane and basket, Peter's joy knew no bounds
Nesta found it was certainly not very nice saying the last ”good-byes,” and she wished Eustace had not said anything to her about the possibility of not co back to Queensland for years
But when they were fairly off, and out of sight of waving hands and the two strong, kind faces that had been his ideals froan to cheer up considerably He had been very much like a bear with a sore head, rather to his enerally be counted on as sensible and fairly serene in teet short answers fros, and to see hi new and extraordinary