Part 25 (1/2)

It was impossible, placed as she was, to pour any water into the girl's mouth; but Elizabeth sprinkled a little on her head. After a time the girl stirred, opened her eyes and moved her lips, but no sound came from them, and in a moment her eyelids again drooped.

”She's absolutely done,” said Elizabeth. ”We'll tow the canoe home.

Tommy, fasten the painter. The poor child's very bad.”

The boat's head was turned, and Elizabeth rowed as hard as she could against the current. Fortunately, they had not come very far beyond the gap in the reef. When the boat reached the still water it travelled much faster, and within an hour of leaving they regained the sh.o.r.e. During this time Tommy had thrown an occasional glance over her shoulder at the prostrate girl. Once she caught the child's eyes fixed upon her, and felt a thrill as she recognized them; they were the same as she had seen peering at her out of the bush. She felt no fear now, but a longing to help the little stranger and know more about her.

When they had landed and drawn the boat up, they lifted the girl and carried her among them to the hut. Her eyes opened during the journey, and she s.h.i.+vered; but she did not speak or struggle, and indeed hung so limply in their arms that they feared she was past help.

”On my bed, please,” said Tommy, when they reached the hut.

They laid her gently down, and Elizabeth poured a little cocoa-nut milk between her lips. She now gave signs of animation, swallowed the juice greedily, and looked with the eyes of a timid fawn from one to another of the three girls. Presently she murmured a few words; her voice was plaintive and pleading.

”Don't be frightened,” said Elizabeth soothingly.

The words seemed to startle the child. She tried to rise, but was too weak to move.

”She must have been adrift a long time to be in this terrible state,”

said Elizabeth. ”I wonder how it happened?”

”Poor thing,” murmured Tommy. ”What a sweet little face she has!”

”Hus.h.!.+” said Elizabeth, ”our voices frighten her. Of course she doesn't understand what we say. I think you had better leave her to me for a little while. I'll feed her, and she'll see by and by that we mean her no harm.”

Tommy's face wore for an instant a look of defiance, but she got the better of her inclination to rebel, and with Mary left the hut.

Elizabeth remained with the little stranger, feeding her at frequent intervals, bathing her head, occasionally murmuring a word of encouragement. Her gentleness was effective. Presently the look of fright vanished from the brown girl's eyes--large, liquid eyes that Elizabeth found wonderfully attractive. Once she timidly stroked Elizabeth's strong firm hand, and at last, with a faint smile, she dropped off to sleep.

”She's asleep,” said Elizabeth, quietly going forth to join her sisters. ”What an extraordinary thing to happen!”

”Look here, Bess,” said Tommy fiercely, ”if you think you're going to keep her to yourself you are jolly well mistaken. I saw her first; you wouldn't believe me; and now I'm going to look after her, so there!”

”Instead of the parrot?” Mary could not help saying.

Elizabeth frowned at her.

”Very well, dear,” she said pleasantly. ”She's a little younger than you, I should think, but I dare say she will like you to mother her.

But what will happen? Won't her friends come and look for her?”

”And if they do, and find we have treated her kindly, they'll just love us,” said Tommy.

The other girls were amazed at Tommy's complete change of att.i.tude.

Her fearfulness seemed to have been quite swallowed up in another emotion. The discovery that the native of whom she had been so needlessly frightened was a girl more helpless than herself filled her with a kind of rapture. She stepped softly into the hut, and seeing that the child was still asleep, placed a peeled orange beside her mat, where it must be seen as soon as she awoke.

”I wonder if we ought to go to the native hut and try to explain to her people that the girl is safe,” said Elizabeth, as they sat on the gra.s.s eating their dinner.

”Certainly not,” said Tommy decisively. ”I dare say they were cruel to her, and the poor thing was glad to get away.”

”What an imagination you have!” said Elizabeth, smiling. ”For all you know, her mother may be broken-hearted.”

”I don't believe it. Anyhow, she's too weak to go home, and we shall soon see if she wants to. I'll talk to her by and by, and I know she'll be quite pleased to stay with us.”