Part 2 (2/2)

The tere in a boat that was bobbing up and down upon the waves

The shore close by was low and sandy, with so-place On one side the bay swept round in a curve ending in a rocky headland; and on the other arose low cliffs with bra in the crevices A breeze was blowing shoreward; and the waves curled and broke upon the beach with a pleasant sound

'Nothing more found out about the robbery yet, I suppose?' said Allan, after they had waited a little longer

'Nothing at all,' said Neil 'It iss a most extraordinary affair, for there iss not asuch a thing; and if it wass a stranger, the wonder iss hoill beseen The letter-box wass broken into froot in after MacAlister and his ass gone to bed It iss a wonder they will not have been hearing anything'

'There's the MacGregors' pony-cart at last,' said Allan, 'with Marjorie and Ha-stones They will leave the trap at Mrs MacMurdoch's cottage until we coe and held the little shaggy pony while Marjorie and her brother took a variety of miscellaneous articles out of the cart

'Hulloa, Allan! hulloa, Neil!' they cried; 'where are the others?'

'Don't know,' said Allan, 'they are dawdling soet off at this rate What's all this that you've got with you?'

'Things for the hiding-place,' said Marjorie; 'and a nice lot of trouble we've had to bring the any of the been exercised

You'll get a basket of crockery, Allan, if you'll go and take it out of the trap Haot soirdle for ht,' said Allan; 'chuck theet in yourself But won't it be a little too civilised, bringing all these things with you?'

'Not at all,' said Marjorie; 'wait till we show you what a jolly place we'rehome, and we must be able to cook dinner and tea for ourselves We've had no end of trouble to get all these things out of the kitchen without Elspeth seeing us She's sothat doesn't belong to us'

'All right,' said Allan; 'but when are Reggie and Tricksy going to turn up? It would serve theht if ent off without them'

'There they are in the distance,' said Has'

'That's certainly Laddie,' said Allan, standing up and looking, 'and that little black speck seeie and Tricksy with theures that looked like aniie and Tricksy,' said Neil, whose sailor's sight enabled hi'

'Carrying _what_?' said Allan,straw for bedding,' suggested Marjorie

'Then if they are, they're not going to fill up the boat with it on this trip,' said Allan decidedly 'We shall be heavily enough loaded already, with all of ourselves; and they're bringing both the dogs'

As they caie and Tricksy, carrying enorie's face peeped, hot and perspiring, round one side of his bundle, which he clasped with the utmost extent of his ar-suffering expression over the fronds which tickled her little nose Beside the over his back; while in the rear a s upon his little short legs; his tongue hanging out, and his long ears sweeping the dust of the road

'Well,' said Allan; 'whatever are they up to now?'

Reggie ca his way cautiously over the stepping-stones

'You ht hold the boat steady foron to the thwarts, he lost his footing and fell forward, load and all, into the boat

Pro around with a self-congratulatory sreat improvement to the place Got them up, roots and all'