human
I guess there’ll be more fish than Jonas and his man Friday will want to carry, said Dave, as he began to gather the fish from the rocks to put them in the basket.
gpt
Let’s have a lunch.
human
So say I, said Donald Parker.
gpt
There’s plenty of drift-wood close at hand.
human
Lunch No. 1,
gpt
Where are Walt and Ned?
human
Sure enough, where are they? asked Dave, dropping his fish into the fire.
gpt
I haven’t heard their voices for ever so long.
human
Nor I,
gpt
Not since we first got here.
human
Walt Martin! Ned Gould!
gpt
Ned! Walt!
human
Shout again, all together!
gpt
Ho, Walt!
human
Now it’s mean for those fellows to go off and frighten us!
gpt
I say as much. They’ve hid somewhere to make us hunt them up. I move we let them wait, and eat our lunch.
human
Look out there! Big wave coming!
gpt
Perhaps they’ve gone up to the lighthouse, suggested Dave.
human
I’ll go up and see.
gpt
Hold on, Dave; I’ll go too, said Joe, disposing hastily of a large piece of gingerbread.
human
One of you fellows tend my fish.
gpt
All right! Eat it, too, if you want us.
human
We heard an awful yelling, and thought we’d come and see what the matter was.
gpt
We were calling Walt and Ned. We thought perhaps they had come up here. Have you seen anything of them?
human
No; they haven’t been near us. Perhaps they’ve tumbled into the sea.
gpt
Cheerful suggestion!
human
They’d hardly be likely to do so without one yell at least; and both of them together would make a considerable noise. No; I suppose they are hiding somewhere to frighten us.
gpt
What are you doing--fishing?
human
Yes; you see we are over here by ourselves--no teachers with us,
gpt
Wish there was now!
human
So do I. If one of the teachers had come, those boys wouldn’t be playing their pranks this way.
gpt
What’s the matter? shouted Mr. Kramer, coming out on the ledge before his door.
human
What are you youngsters howling about?
gpt
We can’t find two of the boys.
human
Can’t find ’em! Where were they when you see ’em last?
gpt
They came over from camp with us, and we all began to fish; that’s the last any of us saw of them.
human
Humph! that’s a nice business,
gpt
We didn’t miss them until we made our fires and were cooking our fish.
human
How long have you been over there fishing?
gpt
Oh, we got there by nine o’clock.
human
And now it is about eleven,
gpt
Yes, sir, replied Joe, referring to his little silver watch;
human
If they went around the cliff just beyond the fishing-place, and didn’t watch, the tide would soon cut them off.
gpt
Where would they be now? can they get over the cliff?
human
Over the cliff? Not much, unless they can walk up a wall like a fly. It isn’t less than forty feet high in any place right there, and part o’ the way it’s sixty and seventy, straight up and down. I’ll go and look over.
gpt
Yes; there are the young scamps!
human
Keep back there, you rascals! This is no place for you.
gpt
I saw them!
human
So did I! What a place!
gpt
Hullo, down there!
human
O Mr. Kramer, can’t you get us off?
gpt
I don’t think I can.
human
The tide is coming higher and higher, and we have climbed as far as we can. Will we have to drown?
gpt
The tides are so much higher now, and the sea so rough since the storm, there’s no knowin’ how high it will get.
human
Mr. Kramer, do something to help us. Bring a boat around here and take us off.
gpt
That’s the worst place on the island to take a boat. The water drives in furiously, and then sucks back enough to drag the solid cliff after it, if it wasn’t anchored very strong.