ed he grimly. Later on he
carved several fine steaks from the turtle and cleaned the upper shell
carefully, wisely concluding to retain it for the usefulness it was sure
to afford sooner or later. "There is one thing to be done," said he,
when they sat down to rest. "I must climb up that mountain and plant a
white flag to show that we are here if a ship should pass. I'll do that
as soon as I have rested, provided I can find anything white that is
large enough to be seen from a distance."

She looked far out over the harbor for a minute, a tinge of red running
to her ears.

"A handkerchief would be too small, wouldn't it?" she asked.

"I'm afraid so," he answered glumly.

Soon afterward she left him and went to the cave, bidding him to await
her return. When she came back she carried in her hand a broad piece of
white cloth, which she laid before him on the grass. There was a look of
modest reluctance in her eyes when he glanced quickly up at them. A
cherished underskirt, ripped ruthlessly from waistband to ruffle, making
one broad white flag of the finest texture, was her offering.

"Use that, Hugh." She could not resist smiling as she pointed to it.

"It will be the very thing," he said, arising and taking the garment
from the ground somewhat carefully.

"It won't hurt you," she said, laughing frankly; whereupon he waved it
rudely above his head and pointed to the pinnacle of the rock.

"With this I shall scale the rock and skirt the bay!"

Within ten minutes he was on his way up the incline, carrying his stout
stick in his hand, another heavier and stronger one being bound to his
back with the white signal attached. She accompanied him to the point
where the ascent became difficult and full of danger.

"Be careful, Hugh," she said; "it looks so dangerous. If you find there
is any possibility of falling, don't attempt to go to the top. You are
so daring, you Americans, that you do not recognize peril at all Promise
me, or I shall not allow you to go on."

He looked down into her serious upturned eyes and promised. Then he
resumed the ascent, with a queer flutter of adulation in his heart.

From time to time he paused to rest. In each instance he looked below,
waving his hand encouragingly to the anxious one who watched him so
closely. On, over fierce crags, around grim towers, along steep walls,
higher and higher he crawled. Twice he slipped and fell back several
feet. When he glanced down, cold perspirati