"Do you s'pose we could row?" questioned Polly.
"I don't know how," said Rose, "but it didn't look hard when Donald did
it."
They reached for the oars, but found that neither was strong enough to
lift one, and Rose's eyes filled with tears when she looked at Polly,
while Polly's brave effort to cheer Rose with a smile failed, because
her own lips were quivering.
"Let's sit down in the bottom of the boat, it seems safer," said Rose.
They slipped from their seats, and each clung to the other.
"If only Uncle John knew!" wailed Rose.
"If only he knew!" echoed Polly, with a sob.
Still the little boat rocked lightly on the waves, and now they no
longer tried to hide their fear, but cried, because they could not help
it.
Out on a high bluff a tall, square-shouldered man leveled a powerful
glass and looked out across the waves.
Evidently he saw what he was looking for, and hastily slinging the
leather strap that held the glass over his shoulder, he strode down to
the shore.
Completely tired, the two children lay sobbing and clinging to each
other, no longer looking toward the shore, because now they were too far
out to clearly see it.
A white gull circled near them, and the whirring of its wings made Polly
open her eyes.
"A great gull!" she whispered, then, oh, the joy in her cry:
"'The Dolphin!' 'The Dolphin!'"
Rose scrambled to her knees.
"Oh, it is! It is! DEAR Uncle John!" she cried.
It was a quick turn from terror in the little boat to joy and safety in
the big yacht, with Uncle John, big, brave Uncle John, to care for them.
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