Priscilla's Spies

ooking at us through hi

If it amuses him he can go on look

ing skirt round her an

in English literature, is 'Gray's Elegy' on account of it's being so

ter," said Frank,

a fuss. We can't get out of this unless we had the wings

wn into the boat with a sudden run. Frank was buried in the folds o

d, "why didn't you tell me

thering the fore

you knew,

stly thing was going t

mighty hurry. He's got a woman helping him. Do you think she could be a female spy? There are

d Frank, who was feeling dishevelled and un

een on getting away from I

s possible. In their hurry they stumbled over guy ropes, got the fly sheet of one of their tents badly t

f your ankle isn't too bad we might as well have lunch. You grub out the

ngue, the tin of peaches and the bottles. Priscilla wrung out her stockings over the stern of the boat and then hung t

"that we'd thought o

t you like

t, but they don't go

then, and keep the macaroons t

tongue. She succeeded in throwing some of the broken gla

on account of their being so beastly expensive-but whenever I have I simply bite bits off it as I happen to want them. But

a good suggestion.

lways frightfully pol

gy" for the sake of its calm came to him. He would not be classed with her. He put his knife back into his pocket and bit a small

glassy bit you've got," sai

Frank, "but it

y appearance of discomfort. Frank had read in books about "the call of the wild." He now, for the first time, felt the lust for

es later, "has one of those glass stoppers i

ose spies on the island have got their te

beach towards the place where Flanagan's old boat lay high and dry on her side. He carried the packing case on his shoulder. Priscilla, tilti

having to sit here and watch them esc

umble about something; but the fear of being compared to Sylvia Courtney

lish literature, and there's a long tract of it called 'Despondency C

the boat. The woman followed him with one of the tents. Then they went back together to their campi

nd. There's only about an inch and a half of water round the boat now. I'

of trying to stay her I should have kept in the channel and not run on to this bank. I knew it was here all right, but I forgot it just at

that the consequences of being entrapped by it were much more serious in sailing boats than elsewhere. He was so far from blaming Priscilla for the plight of the Tortoise that he felt v

st pangs of hunger are allayed. If we hurry up too much we'll have no food left soon and we have absolutely

egan to hope that they, too, might have to wait for the rising tide. They sat down on a large stone and consulted together. Then they took everything out of the boat and tried pushing and pulling her again. Her weight was still too great for them. They moved her forward in short

that dodge sooner or later. Now they'll get on a

hem. Some juice, but considering the circumstances very little, dripped down the front of Frank's white flannel coat, the glorious crimson bound coat of the first eleven. He did not care in the least. He had lapsed hopeless

ou think that you could throw stones far enough to hit them when they get out into

Easter term for throwing the cricket ball. He looked acro

, regretfully

't, either. I never could shy worth tuppenc

ack to the place where she had lain first. By a series of laborious portage

ow," said Fran

Priscilla. "That fellow's an

ns that the shore of the north side of Inishark shelves very rapidly into the deep channel. The boat floated suddenly, and urged by the violence of the last shove, slid rapidly from the shore. The man grasped at he

leaped up

e said. "They're far w

aid Frank, "Did you eve

ered towards the shore, squeezing the sa

said Priscilla, "but I can't help feeling that it

nly, on the shore. The lady dabbed at various parts of his clothing with her pocket-handkerchi

a pair of glasses. I can't think why I was such a f

ank. "What I'd like would be to

don't believe he's capable of it. He looked to me like the kin

him now. If he isn't c

ndkerchief. He was waving his arms violently and shouting so

hout catching a chill. Horrid ass, isn't he? It'd be far better for him to

is performance. The lady, too, began to shout, shrilly. She waved her damp pocket handkerchief round and round her head. Priscilla and Frank turned and saw

hat man, whoever he is, will

rse slightly and reached down towards the derelict A

nto that gray shirt of his. No one else has a shirt the least like it. He's a soft-hearte

dy with him,

. I collared a lot of flannel out of a box in Aunt Juliet's room last 'hols' and gave it to her for the baby. It's

ing boat, took her painter, and b

, "is a black stranger to m

spy, and the original lady with the damp pocket handkerchief, consulted together eagerly. Then they took the hold-all out of Flanagan's boat. There was another conversation, and it became plain that the two ladies were expostulating with the dripping gentleman. Jimmy Kinsella stoo

his clothes,"

n the bow of Flanagan's boat. Then the lady of the island got it

kerchief, I expect

ad in another pair of white trousers and another sweater. He carried his wet garments at arm's length. Jimmy Kinsella went to meet him. They

at kind of thi

do it," s

er, to his recollection, had he kissed any one except his mo

ing good-bye at the end of last term, but I jolly soon choked

e arranged the oars and the rowlocks and then, standing ankle deep in the water, shoved her off.

urning up just at that moment. I wonder if that woman is a m

such a fool as to go trying to dry anybody

ve been such a fool as to let that boat go the way he did

ook a lot of trouble to persuade him to

t would have done before she took to Christian Science. Now, of course, it would b

n to her and afterw

all your beer,

Want

lla, "that perhaps you'd better no

abou

stuck in crossing the Wash. That's rather the sort of positio

t of lager beer, then he looked across at Inishark. Priscilla'

er a broad band which kept it well above her knees. Jimmy Kinsella himself, who was modest as well as chivalrous, sat on a stone with his back to her and gazed at the slope of the island

doing," said Priscilla. "Can s

taken that way. You do it with a lin

s in league with the other spies. You

pecimens of the sea bottom. That's

hat he called it-and he said you gather up small bits of the bottom by putting tallow on the end of a lump of lead. I expect he knew what he

oing that, what

generally bathe for that; but she may not feel bad enough to go to such e

, g

e's not a spy, and we oughtn't to go on treating her as if she was. I don't think it's

She's just put something that she picked up into that tin box she ha

t him and make him come over here. It's perfectly maddening being stuck l

le afte

riscilla. "From this on the t

stretch of mud, dotted over with large stones and patches of gravel. The wind, which had been veering round to the south since twelve o'clock, had almost en

some peach jui