He only glowered, and was too sullen to answer the questions that they
asked, and for a time they were silent. Rose spoke first.
"Why are you rowing us back?" she cried. "We don't want to go back yet!"
"Got ter go back a minute," said the boy, "just for a arrant."
He rowed close to a short pile that was near the shore and in very
shallow water. There was a huge iron ring attached to the pile, used for
mooring small boats.
Donald, who had been watching the shore very closely, now, to hide his
interest, bent all his energy in fastening the chain of the boat to the
ring.
"There!" he said, "that's fast, an' you girls are safe if you sit still
till I come back."
He sprang from the boat, and waded through the shallow water, then ran
up on the beach, shouting:
"Jock! Jock! Wait a minute!"
"Donald! Don't stay long!" cried Rose, and Polly echoed her words, but
Donald either did not, or would not hear!
They watched the two boys as they stood for a moment talking, then ran
down the beach.
"I don't think he was very nice to go off and leave us here while he
does errands," said Polly.
"He wasn't nice at all," said Rose, "and I'll tell Uncle John, if he
gets here first."
"Is this chain VERY long?" Polly asked a moment later.
"I don't know," said Rose, looking over the side of the boat and down
into the water.
"I don't see it," she said a moment later, "why did you ask that,
Polly?"
"Oh, I was only wondering how far we could float before the chain would
look tight.
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