With the grey of the dawn, the fog again drifted out to sea and the sun arose in a glory of flaming color.

“Isn’t it wonderful?” Virg said to the pale, weary girl at her side. “The God who has created the sun and the stars, and keeps them in their places, can also take care of us and I know that he will.” Then she added very softly, “I wish the other girls might sleep longer, for, if they waken, they will be hungry and we have nothing to give them.”

“I suppose poor Mrs. Dorsey is frantic because we have not returned,” said Megsy, also in a whisper. “I am truly sorry for her, but I do hope that she won’t wire Mrs. Martin and spoil her long planned vacation.”

“No fear of that, for, directly after the wedding, Mrs. Martin was to go with her brother and sister on an automobile trip visiting many interesting places, and, returning with them to Vine Haven at the close of the vacation. I heard her tell Mrs. Dorsey not to try to forward her mail as she would have no definite address. However, Mrs. Dorsey will, of course, notify the town authorities and they will begin to search for us, but they will not dream that we are lost at sea since we started out to hike across country.”

For a moment Margaret silently watched the East. Then she said: “Virg, if it weren’t for the real danger that we are in, I would be glad to have this opportunity of seeing such a wonderful sunrise. The very water seems to be of molten gold.”

“It is awe-inspiring,” the older girl replied. “I feel as though we were in the very presence of the Creator.”

A bank of shining mist was just ahead of them. “It is the very same that I have seen from Pine Cabin,” Virg remarked, “and dear old Mrs. Torrence often said that she believed it to be an island, which looked misty because of the distance, and once, when the air was unusually clear, I actually believed that I could see its rocky outlines.”

The two girls, who so loved each other, walked toward the bow of the old boat, and with eyes shaded, gazed ahead through the shimmering air.

“We must have drifted far in those long hours of the night,” Margaret said. “We have much to be thankful for that we did not run upon a shoal.” Suddenly the speaker clutched the arm of her companion. “Virg, after all, we must be drifting back toward the shore. See, there is land in that cloud of mist. Can’t you see it? I can plainly make out trees and rocks.”

“It is indeed land,” Virginia replied, a prayer of gratitude in her heart, “but not the land that we left yesterday, and, what is more, I believe it is an island. A very long one, it would seem, but I think that I can see both ends of it.” Then after a moment. “Oh, I’m so afraid that we are going to drift beyond it.”

At that moment Barbara appeared on deck, and, noting the excited faces of her two friends, she asked eagerly, “What has happened?”

When she heard that Virginia was afraid that they would not drift to the island, Babs exclaimed, “Girls, surely there is a rudder! Peyton taught me how to steer his sail-boat the year before he left home.” Even as she spoke, she was hurrying to the stern. The rudder handle was swinging aimlessly.

At Barbara’s firm touch, the boat responded and swung around, heading in the direction toward which Virginia was pointing.

The other girls appeared on deck and were overjoyed to see land, which, as the sun rose higher, and the fog lifted, was plainly discernable, not more than an eighth of a mile ahead of them.

They were soon near enough to see that it was a large, rocky island with a densely wooded hill rising high in the middle of it. Too, there was a long stretch of deserted beach shining white in the sun.

“I don’t see anyone about,” Eleanor said, making field glasses of her hands, “but then it is very early. Perhaps the inhabitants are not yet astir.”

“Megsy, stand in the bow, will you?” the girl at the rudder called. “Sometimes, as one nears land, there are almost hidden shoals. Keep a close watch ahead, and, if you do see one, motion which way I am to steer.”

Eleanor joined Margaret in the bow of the boat and they gazed anxiously into the water, over which the boat was slowly drifting. Suddenly Megsy waved frantically to the left. Barbara pushed on the rudder with all her strength, but it was too late, The boat slid up on a wide flat submerged shoal.

There was a cry of alarm from the younger girls, but Virginia calmed them. After looking into the water, she said, “We are in no immediate danger. Now, let us think calmly just what may happen and what we would better do.”

“I was noticing, when we let down the bunks in the hold, that the boards were loose. I think we would better each get one to cling to, if we found ourselves in the water.” This from the thoughtful Eleanor.

“I agree with you,” Virginia said, “for although we seem to be well-grounded, it is very probable that a hole has been made in the bottom of the boat. If larger waves come in, we will be lifted from the shoal, the hold will fill with water and the boat will sink.”

Even Sally, relieved because the rocking motion had ceased, went with the others below decks. They soon reappeared dragging boards, one at a time. They were not as easy to procure as had been supposed. Indeed, within the hour that followed, only three had been brought up on deck. It was then that Eleanor made a discovery. “The water is leaving the shoal,” she announced. “Before many minutes I do believe that we will be high and dry.”

Almost breathlessly the six girls leaned over the rail and watched the shoal.

“The tide has turned,” Virginia said. “It does, you know, every twelve hours, and it is just about that long since we started out on this voyage.”

Margaret, who had been intensely gazing at the shore, now exclaimed: “Girls, do you know what I think? I believe that we are stranded on the outer edge of a shoal that goes right up to the island, and that, in a few moments, it will be above water. Then we can land.”

Fifteen minutes later Margaret’s prophecy was fulfilled. Virginia rejoiced at this, for they would all be able to desert the craft, which she no longer considered a safe haven.

“I’ll climb over first,” Betsy volunteered, “and if I can walk to the shore without slipping in the briny deep, the rest of you may safely follow. First of all, let’s remove our shoes and stockings.”

Virginia remained in the boat until all the others had climbed out and were well on their way to the shore. Margaret, standing on the shoal, was waiting for her, when suddenly she uttered a cry of alarm.

“Virg! Hurry up, quick! The boat is slipping out with the tide.”

And so it surely was. Lightened of nearly all its load, the old hulk was once again afloat. Virginia leaped over the rail and was caught by Margaret’s outstretched hands. They had to cling to each other a moment to regain their balance. Betsy, having heard the cry, ran back toward them.

“The boat!” she ejaculated. “Why, it’s sailing away! Lookee!”

The other two girls nodded. “We know it well enough,” Megsy informed her. “Our darling Virg nearly sailed away on it.”

“Don’t tell the others, please,” the oldest girl pleaded. “Since all is well, there is no need to trouble them.”

They were nearing the shore when Barbara, who was sitting there, pointed excitedly back of them. “Girls! See what we’ve escaped.” Virginia, Margaret and Betsy looked back of them and beheld the old hulk slowly sinking in the deep water beyond the shoal.

“Talk of adventure! I never heard of so much outside of a book!” Barbara declared. “That’s what might be labeled a ‘hair breadth escape.’”

Virginia looked about her. “Well, at least we can’t drown here,” she said, “for, instead of water, we have a wide deserted beach, rocky cliffs and a dense woodland.”

“But we may be eaten by cannibals.” It was the first time that Sally had ventured a remark since landing.

“Luckily there are none in these civilized parts,” Babs replied. “Now, girls,” she continued, “let’s hold a council and decide what we are to eat for breakfast.”

“Goodness, yes, let’s! I’d almost as soon drown as starve.” This from Betsy, who, having seated herself on a rock, was putting on her shoes and stockings. The others did likewise. Megsy, saying dolefully the while, “We might hold twenty councils, but pray, how would that procure us anything to eat?”

“There may be a fisherman living on this island.” Virg hoped she was a prophet, but was almost convinced that she was not. The island was too remote to be accessible to the markets.

Betsy, again on her feet, put one finger against her forehead as though in deep thought. “Idea!” she then sang out.

“Let’s hear it, old dear.” Babs felt her spirits greatly restored now that her feet were on dry land.

“When I was a little kid I read ‘Swiss Family Robinson’ seven times and I now recall a few of the ways that were resorted to for the obtaining of sustenance.”

“Shooting stars, Betsy! You must have swallowed the book whole when you finished reading it. You talk just like it.” It was of course Babs who was taunting her friend.

“I did!” Betsy solemnly looked about. “If the worst comes to the worst, we can build a house in a tree, the way they did, and—”

“Begin on the eats, old dear. What did the Swiss family do when they were hungry?”

“They—er—” It was plain Betsy’s memory needed considerable searching.

“Oh, yes, they dug clams.” This, with a sudden brightening expression on her piquant, freckled face. Then she laughed as she confessed, “I haven’t the vaguest notion how it was done.”

“I have!” Barbara was glad that she and Peyton had spent a summer on the coast when they were a boy and girl. “First you hunt around for a little air-bubbly-hole on the sand at low tide and then dig down and get the clam.”

“Just so easy!” Betsy laughed. “Come on, everybody. Hunt for air holes.”

But it wasn’t so easy after all. Now and then one of their number would leap toward what seemed to be an air-hole, dig frantically; then give up as a clam was not revealed.

“I’ve heard of stranded travelers living for quite a time on birds’ eggs.” It was Eleanor who made this suggestion.

“Well, I, for one, can climb trees.” Betsy started to race toward the woods, and the others followed, but once among the great old trees, they paused.

“I haven’t seen a sign of a footprint of any kind,” Virginia remarked, “so I conclude that we have this island very much to ourselves.”

But Virginia was mistaken for at least one dweller of the island was crouched in a nearby tangle of bushes and a pair of dark eyes watched every move made by the six invaders.