ended in a
tragedy.

"I am afraid uncle will be very angry," said Yaspard; but Signy, who
lived closer to the eccentric old man's heart and understood it better,
affirmed that he would be so pleased to have her back in safety he
would not "break out" on anybody. "Besides," she added, "he will see
that we _couldn't_ leave that poor man, and that it was all just a mere
accident."

Yaspard was not so confident, nor yet was Fred, but they did not
discuss the point further; only Fred remarked, "I'd carry you both
straight away to Lunda, and get Dr. Holtum to take you home and smooth
matters as _he_ only can; but ill news travels fast, and it is quite
possible that the catastrophe has been reported at Moolapund; and
reported with twenty exaggerations tacked on to it. In that case the
sooner you are home the better;" and Signy added, "I'd like best to go
_home_."

Home had seemed so dear and far away while she was alone, that now her
whole heart was turning to it with a passionate yearning; and her
companions thoroughly understood the full meaning of her little
sentence.

The events of the last twenty-four hours had completely driven all else
from our Viking's mind, and he did not remember that he had trysted the
lads of Lunda to meet him that night at (what they had named) Gloy's
geo. But they, knowing nothing of what had taken place after they
parted from the Osprey, were not likely to break bargain in such an
affair--promising, as it did, some rare fun.

The boats which Fred had sent out to scour the seas had not approached
the Ootskerries, knowing that the _Laulie_ was there, and that her crew
were not likely to miss seeing the lost boat if it came that way.
Moreover, the fishermen calculated that the tide would carry her in a
more southerly direction, altogether ignorant of the influence, at a
precise and fortunate moment, of cross-currents. As we have seen, Fred
Garson judged differently and with a better result.

But of all these things our lads were ignorant; therefore, shortly
after Fred's boat entered Boden voe the _Laulie_ set out from the
Ootskerries for her rendezvous; and what next happened to her crew you
shall learn when we have safely housed the young Adiesens at Moolapund.

There was the complete and brooding silence of Nature at rest over land
and sea when the boat sailed up the voe, and the three adventurers did
not speak a word till Signy caught sight of a light.

"Oh," she cried, "look! un