Part 13 (1/2)
”Your honor,” spoke up Dorothy, ”this soldier has done good service.
She has pegged stones at your honor with good effect, she has even captured a company of wild pond lilies in your very ranks, and now, your honor, I plead for mercy.”
The play of the children had, by this time, attracted quite a crowd, for the bathing hour was over, and idlers tarried about.
”Fair play!” called a strange boy in the crowd, taking up the spirit of fun. ”That soldier has done good service. She took a sa.s.sy little crab out of my ear this very day!”
Freddie looked on as if it were all true. Flossie did not laugh a bit, but really seemed quite frightened.
”I move that sentence be p.r.o.nounced,” called Bert, being on the side of the prosecution.
”The prisoner will look this way!” commanded Hal.
Nellie tossed back her wet brown curls and faced the crowd.
”The sentence of the court is that the prisoner be transported for life,” announced Hal, while four boys fell in around Nellie, and she silently marched in military fas.h.i.+on toward the bathing pavilion, with Dorothy and Nan at her heels.
Here the war game ended, and everyone was satisfied with that day's fun on the sands.
CHAPTER X
THE Sh.e.l.l HUNT
”Now, all ready for the hunting expedition,” called Uncle William, very early the next morning, he having taken a day away from his office in the city, to enjoy himself with the Bobbseys at the seash.o.r.e.
It was to be a long journey, so Aunt Emily thought it wise to take the donkey cart, so that the weary travelers, as they fell by the wayside, might be put in the cart until refreshed. Besides, the sh.e.l.ls and things could be brought home in the cart. Freddie expected to capture a real sea serpent, and Dorothy declared she would bring back a whale.
Nellie had an idea she would find something valuable, maybe a diamond, that some fish had swallowed in mistake for a lump of sugar at the bottom of the sea. So, with pleasant expectations, the party started off, Bert and Hal acting as guides, and leading the way.
”If you feel like climbing down the rocks here we can walk all along the edge,” said Hal. ”But be careful!” he cautioned, ”the rocks are awfully slippery. Dorothy will have to go on ahead down the road with the donkeys, and we can meet her at the Point.”
Freddie and Flossie went along with Dorothy, as the descent was considered too dangerous for the little ones. Dorothy let Freddie drive to make up for the fun the others had sliding down the rocks.
Uncle Daniel started down the cliffs first, and close behind him came Mrs. Bobbsey and Aunt Emily. Nan and Nellie took another path, if a small strip of jagged rock could be called a path, while Hal and Bert scaled down over the very roughest part, it seemed to the girls.
”Oh, mercy!” called Nan, as a rock slipped from under her foot and she promptly slipped after it. ”Nellie, give me your hand or I'll slide into the ocean!”
Nellie tried to cross over to Nan, but in doing so she lost her footing and fell, then turned over twice, and only stopped as she came in contact with Uncle William's heels.
”Are you hurt?” everybody asked at once, but Nellie promptly jumped up, showing the toss had not injured her in the least.
”I thought I was going to get an unexpected bath that time,” she said, laughing, ”only for Mr. Minturn interfering. I saw a star in each heel of his shoe,” she declared' ”and I was never before glad to b.u.mp my nose.”
Without further accident the party reached the sands, and saw Dorothy and the little ones a short distance away. Freddie had already filled his cap with little sh.e.l.ls, and Flossie was busy selecting some of the finest from a collection she had made.
”Let's dig,” said Hal to Bert. ”There are all sorts of mussels, crabs, clams, and oysters around here. The fisheries are just above that point.”
So the boys began searching in the wet sand, now and then bringing up a ”fairy crab” or a baby clam.
”Here's an oyster,” called Nellie, coming up with the sh.e.l.lfish in her hand. It was a large oyster and had been washed quite clean by the noisy waves.