antin' to go now?" asked the boy. "To the boat landin'?"

"Just anywhere ashore," directed Charley. "Let's land over where I can
climb that hill and have a look around."

He indicated a low hill midway between the tickle and the cabins, and
the boy soon made a landing on a shelving rock, above which the hill
rose abruptly. Charley helped him pull the boat to a safe place, and
waited while he made the painter fast. Then the two began the ascent of
the hill.

"What's your name?" asked Charley.

"Toby Twig," answered the boy.

"My name is Charley Norton, and I'm from New York. I'm taking a cruise
in the mail boat."

"I'm wishin' every time I sees she come in that I could be takin' a
cruise in she! It must be wonderful fine."

"I don't think it is. It's too cold on deck and too smelly in the cabin.
It must get pretty cold here in winter. Where I live we hardly ever have
snow until the end of December."

"Aye, it does get wonderful cold," agreed Toby. "'Twill not be long now
till the harbour freezes and the sea too."

"Can't you use boats in winter?"

"No, we can't use un much longer now. We cruises with dogs in winter,
after the harbour and the sea freezes."

"It must be dreadfully lonesome with no boats coming in."

"I don't find un lonesome. There's aplenty to do. We hunts in winter,
and 'tis fine fun."

"Did you ever shoot a wolf?" asked Charley in some awe.

"No, but I sees un. Last winter I sees five wolves, but they keeps too
far away to shoot un."

"My, but I'd like to see a wild wolf! Did you ever see a bear?"

"Yes, I sees bears, black and white. Dad killed a black bear last week."

The two had crossed the crest of the hill, as they talked, wholly
oblivious of the passage of time, until Toby suggested:

"I'm thinkin' now we'd better be goin' back. The mail boat never bides
long here."

"She was to be here half an hour," said Charley, as they retraced their
steps. "We haven't been half an hour."

A moment later they reached the top of the hill. Both boys stopped and
looked below them and in consternation into the empty harbour.

"She's gone! The ship has gone!" cried Charley in sudden fright.

"She's gone!" echoed Toby. "She's goin' and leavin' you!"

"Oh, catch her! Signal her! Do something!" Charley plead helplessly.

"We can't catch she or signal she! She's too far," and Toby pointed to a
long black line of smoke rising above the rocks beyond Pinch-In Tickle,
and more than a mile dis