time for Captain Jenks--let's run down to the wharf and tell him."

It lacked ten minutes of the time the captain's boat was due, and
the four little Blossoms started pell-mell on a run for the wharf.
Meg carried the glasses, remembering even in her hurry that they
had promised to take care of them.

"Captain Jenks! Oh, Captain Jenks!" cried Bobby, hailing the
skipper of The Sarah before it had even begun to turn toward the
shore.

"Oh, Captain Jenks!" quavered Meg.

"Captain Jenks!" squeaked Dot. "Listen, Captain Jenks!"

"What do you suppose--" began Twaddles as The Sarah grated against
the wharf and Captain Jenks surveyed the waving arms brandished
before him.

"House afire?" asked the captain placidly.

"Oh, no!" sputtered Bobby, the words tumbling over each other.
"Nothing like that! But there's somebody on Kidd's Island!"

"There is?" said the captain sharply. "How do you know?"

Meg and Bobby and Dot and Twaddles insisted on all explaining at
once, but somehow the captain succeeded in understanding what they
were trying to tell him.