if Fritz and Jack and Ernest could have piled up these stones to keep off the savages," she thought. She clambered up over the stones with much difficulty, for they hurt her feet, and when she got up to the top of them she was saluted by an immense flock of white gulls, who flew screaming about her head. She knew these birds well, but in the excitement of the moment, as she looked up at their snow-white bodies and outstretched wings, they seemed to her something more beautiful than she had ever seen before. "I wonder if Fritz will not be shooting these beautiful birds," she thought. But as she looked over the little island her heart began to fail her. Nothing was as her fancy had pictured it. It was different from their own island truly, for instead of a rough hilly surface, with great piles of rock, this was mostly low and marshy, but no waving palms or cocoa-nut groves met her longing sight. A few sheep were wandering about, very like those they kept at home. Something that looked like reeds caught her eye, like a house. she thought. and she hastened eagerly towards them. It was only a feathery kind of grass, very beautiful to the eye, but giving no luscious sap to her now parched lips. She was almost despairing, when she saw something that looked "That may be the farm-house," She hurried towards it, but alas! it was a mere shanty, a few rough boards, a rude fire-place, a couple of shelves or bunks just raised from the floor, and a heap of straw. But what was worse, on it were posted the "Regulations of the Massachusetts Humane Society," showing clearly that it was one of their buildings placed there for the convenience of shipwrecked sailors. All her high wrought fancies dying away, poor Jenny found herself almost exhausted with heat, fatigue, and excitement. At least the shade was grateful to her after the hot glaring sun, and she sank down on the heap of straw for a moment's rest. Jenny was a child of nature, very much accustomed to eat when she was hungry, drink when she was thirsty, and sleep when she was tired, without much thought. So, now in spite of the disappointment, her weariness overcame her and she sank into a profound sleep. When she awoke, the sun was shining over the hills of the mainland and tinging them with its ruddy glow. Jenny rose up, hastily collected her thoughts, remembered with shame her foolish dreams, and felt that she must hasten quickly if she hoped to reach home before dark. "Father and mother will be so frightened," now for the first time came into her head. She clambered over the wall again to reach her little boat. But what was her dismay, when instead of the pebbly beach she saw the sea washing almost to the foot of the wall, and her boat gone. While she slept the tide had turned, its force had swept the boat from her insecure mooring, and it was now floating idly on the waters. She thought she could see it at a little distance, but even she dared not swim out in the vain hope of reaching it. Now, indeed, she felt abandoned of hope, and sinking down on the hard stones she burst into tears. But Jenny was a brave girl, and she had listened too eagerly to Ephraim's many stories of courage and presence of mind in trying circumstances, to give up hope now. She began to think what she must do. It was clear she must pass the night there; but in the morning, surely, she might make some boatman see her. She was very thirsty and would surely be hungry too. She must employ the little daylight that was left in finding something to eat and drink, if possible, and in planning how to pass the night. She had often gathered moss for her mother to make blanc-mange, but she had neither milk, nor sugar, nor fire to cook it with, and she did not think it would be very good without these. There were birds and sheep it is true, but Jenny had no gun to shoot them, and I suspect would have been a little too tender hearted to use it if she had. Gulls' eggs she might find, she had heard her father and the boy say they were very good eating, and though she did not fancy them raw, it would be better than starving. Perhaps she could make a fire; she would try that in the morning. Now she contented her self with chewing a little moss, but its salt taste, pleasant at first, only increased her thirst. She must pass the night in the little shanty. Would there be any fear of wild beasts? she had never seen any in their own island, and she was beginning to reason instead of dreaming now. She saw the sheep were very tranquil, and did not huddle together as if afraid, and she knew what timid animals they are. So she trusted nothing would harm her. The gulls stopped their screaming and went to their rest among the rocks; the sun was just sinking on the horizon when Jenny saw a gleam of light-oh! what a throb of joy and pain went through her heart at the well known sight." It is father's light!" she said. Then came the chilling thought: all is going on just the same, don't they miss me? Oh no! she knew too well that Susan was wandering over the whole island in agony, and she imagined how heavily her father climbed the tower stairs without her by his side. But she had heard him say, that if his own son were drifting on the waves, he must |