"Aren't you starved?" demanded Polly. "And thirsty?"
"There's a nice spring a little way back there," Ella said, pointing over her shoulder. "I had all the water I wanted. I found it yesterday. But I am so hungry. I could almost eat you."
"Come on. We've got some things to eat," said Ward eagerly. "I'm sorry we ate as much as we did. But we didn't know we were going to find you."
"Did you come after me?" Ella asked. "Did Daddy come, too?"
Then they had to explain how they happened to be on Rattlesnake Island. All the time they were retracing their steps toward the motor boat and Larry.
"And it's lucky we were blown out of the way of Blackberry Island," finished Fred seriously. "You might have had to stay here for weeks."
"We may have to, anyway," Margy reminded him. "If Larry doesn't get the boat fixed, we'll have to spend the winter here."
Fred noticed that Ella was limping a little and taxed her with it.
"I blistered my heel," she admitted reluctantly, "walking so much. I kept hoping I'd find somebody, and I walked and walked. I guess I've been around the island a dozen times."