“Did he do that?” said Charlie, his face brightening.
“Hurrah for Tom!” cried Kenneth. “I knew he was all right.—Hello! there he goes now in his dory. Tom! oh, Tom!”
Kenneth waved his hat and shouted, but Tom did not seem to hear. He was at some distance out in the bay, rowing towards the bathing beach. They all shouted and waved, and finally Tom seemed to hear, for he looked around; but he did not show any intention of rowing towards the cave. Perhaps he still felt like an outlaw.
“He rows well,” said Mr. Smith, as Tom disappeared around the Point.
“He knows more about boats than a good many men ever learn,” said Mr. Thornton. “I wonder where he is going.”
“We don’t seem likely to catch him this morning,” said Mr. Smith; “but if you see him, I wish you would ask him to come over and talk with me to-morrow. Hello! what’s this?”
Down the cliff scrambled Susan, panting and disheveled. As she ran she shouted something which they could not understand. But when she came nearer they made out the word “Rose! Rose!”
In an instant Mr. Thornton jumped to his feet and ran to meet her. “What is the matter?” he cried, turning pale. “What has happened to Rose?”
Presently Sue recovered enough breath to speak brokenly. “She—she fell!” gasped Sue. “She broke her foot, I guess. She—can’t walk. We—were looking—for the treasure—in the cave—out on the rocks—beyond the bathing beach.”
“My poor little Rose!” gasped Mr. Thornton; and he started on the run, followed by the others. They all ran as fast as they could, but it was a long way. Poor Sue had found it so when she stumbled along going in the other direction. Now she toiled back again far behind the others,—behind even Mr. Smith, who was short and fat and grew very red as he ran. He had to stop often and mop his forehead with his handkerchief; but Mr. Thornton never stopped until he came to the bathing beach. Kenneth and Charlie were close behind him. They heard him give a loud cry when he looked across the beach to Gull Rock, where Sue had said Rose was. In a minute they saw the reason.