CHAPTER XII.
LOST IN A FOREST
TIBBS was blown many miles by the gale which had wrecked the four-posted Bed. At last he found himself passing over the silver sands of a strange coast, and fell at the edge of a forest which grew almost down to the water.
As soon as he recovered his breath, he picked himself up, in no way hurt, and very excited to find himself in a strange country. He stood up, brushed the sand from his clothes, and looked round him. As he did so, he spied a black speck upon the sand, just beyond the reach of the angry breakers.
Running towards this, he found, as he drew near, that it was a large carved post tossed up by the sea; and then, to his amazement and joy, he caught sight of the golden head of Kiddiwee beside it.
The two brothers fell into each other’s arms, and Kiddiwee wept with joy, and even Tibbs had tears in his eyes.
“Well, this IS an adventure!” he said.
“’Es, it is!” replied the little chap. “But I do wish Cece was here!”
“Perhaps she is,” said Tibbs, with more cheerfulness than he felt. The thought of Coppertop filled him with fear as to what had become of her.
“I shouldn’t wonder,” he continued, “if she hasn’t been blown here, too. Perhaps she is looking for us in the forest. Come on, we’ll hunt for her. She may be lost!”