you girls running out on deck when the boat drew off and I
thought something was wrong and hurried over to see," he explained half
shyly, as he drew the boat to shore.

"Oh, have you come to take us home?" cried Alene. "How lovely of you!"

"I'll run back to the cabin for our packages," and Laura, not waiting
for his reply, hurried away.

"If you don't object to going with me!"

"Object! Why, we are delighted at the chance! We didn't know what to
do!"

Alene told the cause of their predicament, which the boy had already
guessed.

"It seems funny you thought we would object to being rescued by you;
you didn't wait to find out if we objected or not, that day at the
picnic, and the day you faced the mad bull!"

He laughed.

"Excuse me, you see the old fellow was so quick he didn't give me a
chance! But this is different!"

Alene was silent. She was afraid he might think her a great baby were
she to say how very, _very_ much relieved she was by his presence.

"Well, I guess Hugh Bonner would object," returned the lad.

Alene stepped gingerly into the boat, trying to hide her nervousness
when it rocked beneath her and Mark came to her assistance.

"Sit here in the bow and I'll bail out this water," he said.

Alene found it a very spacious and pleasant seat; the rolling of the
boat which had alarmed her when standing gave her only a delightful
sensation. She put her hand over the side of the skiff and let the
water glide through her fingers while she watched with interest the
movements of the boy.

"You didn't answer my question," he remarked at last.

"What question?"

"About Hugh objecting."

"Why should he object? Here's Laura with our bundles!" She moved
aside to let her friend step into the boat.

The packages were put in a safe place, Mark grasped the oars, Laura,
who felt perfectly at home on the water, took a third oar and they
started on their homeward way.

"How glad I am to leave the bleak coast of China!" cried Laura.

"You mean Glass-gow, don't you?" spoke up the boy, pointing over his
shoulder to where the friendly clerk stood calling, 'Bon voyage!' from
the deck of the glass-boat.

The girls laughed.

"I guess we will have to forgive him?"

Alene glanced across the water.

"I suppose we had better, at any rate until we reach dry land," she
replied.

"Won't Ivy be sorry she missed this good chance to say 'thank you,
sir,' for rescuing us again?" remarked Laura.

"Do y