"Golly! I didn't enjoy that very much," said Tom. "Sorry I was so feeble, Andy."
"It's all right," said Andy. "You did your best. We're all right now."
But in his own mind Andy didn't think they were at all all right! How in the world was he going to get Tom over that stretch of water back to the second island gain? He would never, never do it! Andy was very worried indeed.
But he didn't show it. He grinned at Tom, his blue eyes shining in his wet brown face. "We're here at last!" he said. "And maybe we shall get a few surprises!"
They lay on the sandy shore in the sun for a while, drying themselves. Tom felt very much better alter a meal out of the oilskin packet. He almost felt as if he could swim back home again! It was wonderful what food did to Tom.
"I feel a new man now," he said, leaping to his feet. "Come on, Andy, old chap. Let's go up to the cliff-top and go across to the other side of this island, to see if we can spy anything."
Andy got up too. The two boys climbed up the rough cliff and sat on the top to get back their breath. The island seemed to be about the same as the other two—covered with heather, bracken and grass, and with white gulls soaring over it.
They crossed the narrow width of the island and at last came to the cliff on the other side.
"Wriggle along on the ground now, just in case there's anyone about," said Andy. So both boys wriggled along on their fronts, and came at last to a lace where they could see down to the water far below.
And what they saw there filled them with such astonishment and alarm that for at least five minutes neither boy could say a word!