“Oh, the sea,” whined Tommy, disgustedly, “this isn’t the ocean, and if just an old bay can act like this, why, I say give me land.  No more water for me, thank you.  I am going home and plow—­yes, I am, I am going to plow, Judy Jameson, and take care of the cows—­and—­and weed the garden,” naming the thing he hated most as a climax, “and when I get to thinking things are hard, I will remember this night—­when I was a shipwrecked mariner.”

In imagination he was revelling in the story he would tell at home.  Of the adventures that he would relate to the eager ears of the youth of Fairfax.  “Yes, indeed, I will remember the time when I was a shipwrecked mariner,” he said with gusto, “and lived on a desert island.”

“Oh, Tommy,” in spite of faintness and hunger and exhaustion, Judy laughed.  “Oh, Tommy, you funny boy—­this isn’t a desert island.”

“How do you know it isn’t?” asked Tommy, stubbornly.

“There aren’t any desert islands in the bay.”

“I’ll bet this is one.”

“I hope not.”

“Why?”

“We haven’t anything to eat.”

“Oh, well, we will find things in the morning.”

“Where?”

“On the trees.  Fruit and things.”

“But there aren’t any trees.”

“Oh, well, oysters then.”

“How will you get them—­”

“And fish,” ignoring difficulties.

“We haven’t any lines or hooks.”

“And things from the wreck.”

“The boat tipped over,” said Judy, with a little sobbing sigh for the capsized “Princess,” “and anyhow there was nothing left to eat but some lemons and a box of crackers.”

“Don’t be so discouraging,” grumbled Tommy, “you know people always find something.”

They sat in silence for a time, and then Judy said: 

“I hope they are not worrying at home.”

“Gee—­they will be scared, when they wake up in the morning and find you gone,” said Tommy, consolingly.

“I left a note for Anne in the library, telling her where I had gone—­but I thought I would get back before she found it,” said Judy—­“poor little Anne.”

“I think it is poor Tommy and poor Judy,” said the cause of all the trouble.

“But we deserve it and Anne doesn’t.  And that’s the difference,” said Judy, wisely.

“Aw—­don’t preach.”

“Couldn’t if I tried,” and Judy clasped her hands around her knees and gazed out on the dark waters, and again there was a long silence.

“Well, what are we going to do?” demanded Tommy as the night wind blew cold against his wet garments and made him shiver.

“Do?”

“Yes.  We can’t sit like this all night.”

“Guess we shall have to.”

Another silence.

“Gee, I’m hungry.”

“So am I.”

“But there isn’t anything to eat.”

“No.”

Silence again.

“Gee—­I’m sleepy.”