"Not through yet, Mr. Tolman," said Dave, laughing.
Johnny Richards stuck up his grinning face above the threshold.
"Any more?" said the light-keeper.
And this inquiry Dab Richards answered in person, relieving the ladder of its last load.
"Why, why! wasn't expecting this! All castaways?"
"Pretty near it, Mr. Tolman," said Dick.
"Come up into the kitchen, and then let us have your story, boys."
They followed the light-keeper into the kitchen, so warm, so cheerfully lighted.
In the boat Dick Pray had been very bold, and said he would go ahead and "beard the lion in his den;" but when at the foot of the lighthouse, he concluded he would silently allow Dave to precede him. The warmth of the kitchen thawed out Dick's tongue, and now that he was inside he kept a part of his word, and made an explanation to the light-keeper. He stated that they had had permission to "picnic" on the schooner, had--had--"got adrift"--somehow--and were caught on the bar, and the question was what to do.
"Perhaps you can advise us still further," explained Dave. "One suggestion is that when the tide turns we pull up anchor and drift back with the tide."