Angela staggered forward a rod or two; and now both feet left a trail of blood.  Then suddenly again she struggled for balance, fell headlong.

“Keep on walking, mother’s heart’s treasure,” Peachy commanded.  She dropped to her knees and held out her arms; her face worked uncontrollably.

Angela pulled herself up with a determined settling of her little rose-petal mouth.  Swaying, stumbling, staggering, she ran on in one final spurt until she collapsed in her mother’s arms.

VIII

“And as soon as we finish the New Camp,” Honey said eagerly, “we must make another on the rocks at the north.  That will be our summer place.”

“And as soon as we’ve finished that, let’s build a house-boat for the lake,” Billy suggested.

“Then let’s put up some hunting-boxes at the south,” Ralph took it up.

“There’s a good year’s work on the New Camp,” Frank reminded them.

“But after the New Camp and the Hunting-Boxes and the House-Boat — what?” Ralph asked a little drearily.

“Plenty to do,” Billy promised cheerily.  “I’ve been working on a plan to lay out the entire island in camps and parks.  Pete, I want to bring them over to you some night.”

“Come to-night,” Pete said eagerly.

“Why not bring them to the Clubhouse,” Honey asked.  “I’d like to see them, too.  While I’m working with my hands on one job, I like to be working with my head on the next.”

“Sure,” agreed Ralph, “I’m for that.  I’ll join you to-night.  Can you come, Frank?”

“I had meant to write to-night,” Frank said.  “But of course I can put that off.”

“Has it ever occurred to you fellows,” Billy asked, “that just as soon as the boys are big enough for us to leave the women in their care, we can build a boat and visit the other four islands?”

“Gee!” Honey said.  “Now you’re shouting.  I never thought of that.  Lord, how I would like to get away from this place for a while.  Being shut in in any way always gets on my nerves.”

Ralph drew a long breath.  “I never thought of it,” he admitted.  “But it gives me a new lease of life.”

“I shall feel like Columbus,” Pete acknowledged, “and then some.  Why it’s like visiting the moon — or Mars.  And God knows we’ll need an other island or two in our business — provided we stay here for two or three generations more.  We’ll be a densely populated world-center before we know it.”

“I was thinking,” Billy suddenly relapsed to the previous subject.  “How about the women tonight?  They always hate to have us leave them when we’ve been away all day, — and we’ve been here two days, remember.”

“Oh, that’s all right,” Honey answered.  “I’m sure Lulu’ll be all right.  There’s been the greatest change in her in the last few months.”

“Peachy won’t mind,” said Ralph.  “She told me the other night to go to the Clubhouse as often as I wanted and stay as late.”