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Chapter VI

THE TUG OF WAR


I had quite made up my mind not to attend the service on the following
Sunday, and when a pink paper floated down on my easel on the Saturday
morning, I caught it and thrust it into my pocket, without even looking
to see what the subject was to be.

'Have you got it, Mr. Jack?' said the child's voice above me.

'All right, little man,' I answered; 'it's all safe and sound.'

I made my plans for Sunday with great care. I asked for an early
breakfast, so that I might walk over to Kettleness, a place about two
miles off along the coast, and which could only be reached at low tide;
and when I was once there, on the other side of the bay, I determined to
be in no hurry to return, but to arrive at Runswick too late for the
service on the sands. If Duncan and Polly missed me, they would simply
conclude that I had found the walk longer than I had expected.

But, as I was just ready to set out for Kettleness, a tremendous shower