Part 27 (2/2)

'I can sice across the school swi his way barefoot over the rocks and shi+vering a little, for although the sun was hot, the wind see 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 h!'

When his splash had subsided he saw the island boys swian to feel tired, and the waves seeer When he was able to see over their crests he couldupon a rock which raised its head out of the water, and waiting for hirasped a point of rock, and drew hily Gerald was still splashi+ng in shalloater near the shore

'Good for you,' said Reggie; 'it's a pretty stiff sea for a felloho has only practised in a swi-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 swa very wry faces, and sing quantities of water With the bigger boy swiot along fairly well, and in a little while claly happy

Diving froetting out and sunning themselves on the war races and pushi+ng each other into the water, the time passed quickly, and they were all surprised when Duncan ca 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 tre teeth, 'you fellows ought to learn to tread water and to swi-baths The ordinary kind of swih in a place like this----'

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

'Yes,' said Harry rather conte is all very well; but when you're swi 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 a 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 shi+rt

Allan was saved fro by the reappearance of Duncan, to say that 'The young gentlemen wass to pleasefor the-place Allan was very silent, and all tea-tihtfully, and was evidently revolving so in histo Marjorie, 'Now, Marjorie, reot to et lost,' said Marjorie 'I hope they won't go off without h 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 e to keep theie, will you?'

Allan walked for soan to wonder as coan Allan, rather absently, 'have you been thinking that you're going to school next term?'