once.
Julian laughed. „No, Joan. What would be the use of them going to Kirrin Island? They couldn"t do any kidnapping there, in ful view of all the houses round the bay!"
„I guess it was only a dream, Anne," said Berta. „I guess you heard the thunder in your sleep and it turned into the sound of a motor-boat chugging - dreams do that sort of thing. I know once I left the tap running in my basin when I went to sleep, and I dreamed all night long I was riding over the Niagara Fal s!"
Everyone laughed. Berta could be very drol at times. „If the boat"s ready, we"ll certainly go over to Kirrin Island today," said George. „If any trippers are there I"l send Timmy after them!"
„There wil only be the rabbits," said Dick. „I wonder if there are stil hundreds there - my word, last time we went they were so tame that we nearly fel over them!"
„Yes - but we didn"t have Timmy with us," said Anne. „George, it wil be nice to go to Kirrin Island again. We"ll have to tell Lesley about the adventures we"ve had there."
They washed up after breakfast, made the beds and did their rooms. Joan put her head round Julian"s bedroom door.
„Wil you want a packed lunch for a picnic again, Master Julian?" she said. „If you don"t, I can get you a nice bit of cold ham for lunch. The grocer"s just rung up."
„If the boat"s mended, we"re going over to the island, Joan," said Julian. „And then we"d like a packed lunch. But if we don"t go, we"ll stay for lunch. It wil be easier for you in a way, won"t it? We all got up so late this morning that there"s not much time to make sandwiches and pick fruit and so on."
„Well, you tell me, as soon as you know about the boat," said Joan, and disappeared.
George came in. „I"m going to see if the boat is mended," she said. „I"l only be gone a minute. Joan wants to know."
She was back almost at once. „It"s not ready," she said, disappointed. „But it wil be ready at two o"clock this afternoon. So we"ll have lunch here, shal we, and then go over to the island afterwards. We"ll pack up a picnic tea."
„Right," said Julian. „I vote we bathe from the beach this morning, then. The tide wil be nice and high and we can have some fun with the big breakers."
„And also keep an eye on James to see that he keeps his word about the boat," said Dick.
So, when all their jobs were finished - and they were very conscientious about them - the five children and the two dogs went off down to the beach. It was a little cooler after the thunder, but not much, and they were quite warm enough in their swim-suits, with a blazer to wear after a bathe.
„There"s nothing nicer than to feel hot and go into the sea and get cool, and then come out and get hot in the sun again, and then go back into the sea," began Berta.
„You say that every single day!" said George. „It"s like a gramophone record! Stil , I must say that I agree with you! Come on - let"s have a jolly good swim!"
They all plunged through the big, curling breakers, squealing as the water dashed over their bodies, cold and stinging. They chased one another, swam under water and grabbed at the legs swimming there, floated on their backs, and wished they hadn"t forgotten to bring the big red rubber ball with them. But nobody wanted to go and fetch it so they had to do without it.
Timmy and Sal y raced about in the shallow waves at the edge of the sea. Timmy was a fine swimmer, but Sal y didn"t much like the water, so they always played together at the edge. They really were most amusing to watch.
The dogs were glad when the children came panting out of the water. They lay down on the warm beach and Timmy flopped down beside George. She pushed him away.
„You smell of seaweed," she said. „Pooh!"
After a while Dick sat up to pul on his blazer. He gazed over the bay to where Kirrin Island lay basking in the sun and gave a sudden exclamation.
„I say! Look, all of you!"
Everyone sat up. „There"s someone on Kirrin Island,
Rex Stout
Su Halfwerk
Lloyd Tackitt
Evelyn Lyes
Bev Vincent
Elizabeth A. Veatch, Crystal G. Smith
Jennifer Michiels
Viv Daniels
Perri Forrest
Peter Turnbull