Priscilla's Spies

stands high on a wooded slope above the southern shore of a great bay. From the dining-room windows, so carefully have vistas been cut through the trees, there is a broad pro

ng with pardonable pride upon the peculiarities of their coast line, say that any one who walked from the north to the south side of the bay, keeping resolutely along the high-tide mark, would travel altogether 200 miles. He would reach after his way-faring a spot which, measured on the map, would be just eight miles distant from the point of his departure. Sir Lucius, who loved his home, while he sometimes affects to despise it, says that he believes this estimate of the extent of the s

her girlhood. She returned to live there after the death of Lady Lentaigne. Priscilla, Sir Lucius' only child, comes to Rosnacree House for such holidays as are granted by a famous Dublin school. Sh

n, she made an assault upon her Aunt Juliet's authority on the ver

y go to meet Cousin Frank

y," said

o deal with. He is neither man enough to associate on quite equal terms with grown men nor boy enough to be turned loose to play according to his own devices. Sir Luc

ced triumphant

"to your meeting your cousin at the train, but if you a

thought

ginish to bathe," she said. "

u are," sai

igne, "you will be both dirty and untidy, cert

ut she had not yet reached the age at which a girl thinks it desirable to be clean, tidy and well dres

said, "It's the fi

" said Mis

"who won the prize for English lite

. The authority of any one who wins

hols that is, to Miss Pettigrew when she wa

tacit approval of the word there was no arguing. Miss Pettigrew, the head of a great

rs was tied a bundle, her towel and scarlet bathing dress. From the back of the saddle, wobbling perilously, hung a much l

f flour and yellow Indian meal, bringing in exchange fish, dried or fresh, and sometimes turf for winter fuel. Here are smaller boats from nearer islands which have come in on the morning tide carrying men and women bent on marketing, which will spread brown sails in the evening and bear their passengers home again. Here at her red buoy lies Sir Lucius' smartly varnished pleasure boat, the Tortoise, reckoned "giddy" in spite of her name by staid, cautious island folk; but able, with her centre board and high pea

ised iron rowlocks to biscuits and jam. On the low window sills of both windows sit rows of men who for the most part earn an honest living by watching the tide go in and out and by making comments on the boats which approach or leave the quay. It is difficult to find out who pays them for doing these things, but it is plain that some one

fast to a buoy at the far side of the fair-way. A donkey-engine on the steamer's deck was clanking vigorously, hauling in the hawser, swinging the head of the steamer round, a slow but deeply interesting manoeuvre. "Peter Walsh," said Priscilla, "is that you?" "It is, Miss," said Peter, "and

nd it's a good sail, half a

hat same halyard fast to the cleat on the windw

nk I'm a fo

that the mast that's in her isn't over and above

no wind

n't say but there might be

d Priscilla. "I'll be back aga

ing, and then dipped again. Suddenly the captain on the bridge shouted. The engine stopped abruptly. The warp sagged deep into the water. A small boat with on

ol to be out in a boat by

it," said Peter, as the boat righte

is

aid four pounds for the use of Flanagan's old boat for

aid Priscilla. "

s way along the steamer's side towards the quay. The

him drown, though of course it would be interesting. I'm going

e fast the tack and hoisted it, gazing critically at it as it rose. Then he stepped out of t

little air of wind there is from the south you'll slip down to

give her a push off. I'll get way on

ly swung over to starboard. Priscilla settled h

s," said Peter Walsh, "You

t the tide ran strongly. One buoy after another was passed. A large black boat lay alongside the quay, loaded hea

's Jimmy and the baby? I ex

oseph Antony Kinsella. "The baby and the res

. The breeze freshened slightly. Little wavelets formed under the Blue Wandere's bow and curled outwards from her sides

led on her sheet and slipped in through a narrow passage. She rounded the eastern corner of the island and ran her boat ashore in a little bay. She lowered the sail, slipped off her shoes and stockings and pushed the boat out. A few yards from the shore, she dropped her anchor and waited till the boat swung shorewards again to the

ashed deliciously, sending columns of glistening foam high into the air. Standing upright with outspread hands and head thrown back, she trod water, gazing straight up into the sky. She lay motionless on her back, totally immersed save for eyes, nostrils and mouth. A nois

. "You're going stra

e boat turned round

ight oar," s

to the bottom of the boat. His two feet stuck up ridiculously. Priscilla laughed. The bo

id Priscilla. "Why didn'

his feet, seized an oar a

ks. "You'll have to hop out or you'll be stuck there till the

ater doubtfully. Then he

ry deep?"

shallow, but if you step over the edge of t

down and began t

, "you'll be high and dry altogether. Ne

rst. The young man staggered, loosed his hold on her and then stood gaping helplessly, ankle deep in water perched on a

l I do now

'll drift down to you again. I'll give her

wale. Then, kicking and splashing, guided her back

pose you're going

nd," said t

id Priscilla, "and you haven't any particular one

I h

ch o

at her suspiciously a

scilla, "For if it isn't you're not likely t

okes and got his boat into the

you'd have been left stranded on that rock till the tide rose again and

e young man, "thank

re are y

a few minutes he was far down the channel. Priscilla watched him. Then she swam

ging to the ground, fleck the green with spots of vivid white. The sun reaches every yard of the shadeless surface of the island. Here and there grey rocks peep up, climbed over, mellowed by olive green stonecrops. Priscilla, glowing from her bath, lay full stretch among the flowers, drawing deep breaths of scented air and gazing at the sky. But nothing was further

e to lose. She put her shoulder to the stern of the boat and pushed, springing on board as the boat floated. The Blue Wanderer, even with her new lug sail, does not work well to windward. It is possible by very careful steering to make a little by tacking if the breeze is good and the tide is running fa

sella," he said, "since you were out

boat as I was going out, with a big load of

the baby we were speaking of. Will you mind yourself now, Miss. That slip is terribly slippery a

at and immediately fell forward on her hands and knees. When she

aid Peter. "Didn't I tell you t

you were talking about," sa

me that he's seen that young fellow that has Fl

asked him, but he

his belief that he's on Ilaunglos, or Ardila

then. There isn't a house

ave a tent with him and be sleeping in it the sa

see th

in oil with a cork drove into the neck of it, and he'd two loaves of bread done up in brown paper, and he'd a couple of tins that might be meat of one kind or another, and along with them he

and then they'll find some papers on his body that'll tell us wh

Miss. Sure them train

hen you happen to be late for them. Then they make a