!" and Yaspard picked up the rabbit;
"a fine fat beast, thanks to Pirate. Ah, my dog, if you had Thor's
wings you would use them for me, not for yourself, I know."

Harry Mitchell looked admiringly at the noble dog; and when the others
moved away to collect wood for a fire (plenty of spars on Swarta Stack)
he fell into a reverie with his eyes fastened on Pirate.

Before long a fire was burning and the rabbit was roasting in an oven
of mud. The skin was not removed, for those old young campaigners knew
the best way to cook meat when the kitchen appliances were beyond
reach. While Lowrie watched the roast and Gloy fed the fire, Gibbie
went to the shore to secure some shell-fish and Bill went in search of
plovers' eggs, for all were agreed that, until absolutely driven to it,
they would not kill a sheep.

Yaspard, having set them all thus to work, returned to his place by
Tom, who had fallen into a sort of stupor more alarming than even the
restlessness and raving of the previous evening.

"In a brown study still, Harry?" the Viking asked, as he sat down and
looked sorrowfully at the invalid.

"I have an idea," was Harry's answer. "You see the wind is falling
already, and falling fast. It never lasts long at this season. But
there is a heavy sea that may not run off for a couple of days. And no
one lives on the part of Burra Isle facing Swarta Stack. Any signal we
make will not be seen by the folk of Burra Isle, and not likely noticed
by any one on Lunda, which is so much farther away. It really wouldn't
matter for any of us except Tom; but he must be seen to soon, if his
life is to be saved. If he were all right, we could camp here as long
as you please; so don't think me impatient or funking."

"No, no! I know that. What is your idea?"

"Your boat can't float, Yaspard, but your dog can swim."

Yaspard sprang to his feet and caught Harry's hands in his joyous
excitement. "That will do," he cried. "That will be better than Thor,
for I can go with Pirate. I can swim like a fish; and if he sees me
try it, he will go too--we could not expect him to fully understand
what we wanted if I did not do so. I'll be off as soon as it's
possible."

"Burra Isle is three-quarters of a mile from here," answered Harry
gravely.

"I'm good for it," was Yaspard's answer; "good for that, and a lot
more, in such an emergency as the present."

Harry's face dropped quickly, and he had some difficulty in keeping
back