“I mean to tell you first,” declared Ruth, quite undisturbed by his expressed doubt.
Luke hurried her away from the camp. They reached the open beach where the starlight gave to the scene a bland radiance. At another time both the young people would have considered it a lovely view and would have spoken of it. But now——
“What is it you have thought of, Ruth?” demanded the youth, holding her hand and looking closely at her.
“I know how we can—how we must—go after Tess and Dot.”
“Oh, Ruth!”
She explained. The idea of a good-sized raft, with sail and two oars (these had belonged to the Isobel), was rapidly sketched by the girl in no faltering accents. Luke soon began to take fire at her plan. His eyes sparkled and he could scarcely wait for her to complete her details.
“Ruth! It’s a wonder of an idea! Of course we can!”
“Oh!” she said with a sudden sob, “if it were only daylight. All the time the dear little things are floating farther and farther away.”
“Don’t say another word!” exclaimed Luke, eagerly. “I don’t care if it is dark! Wait! What time is it?” He struck a match and looked at his wrist watch. “Twelve-twenty-five. The darkest time of all the night, but you can see pretty well out here on the shore. There are plenty of fallen logs at the edge of the grove, over toward the inlet where the Isobel lay.”
“So there are, Luke.”