Marjorie gave a little jump as though she were pleased.
The boat was launched, and cut swiftly through the transparent water, while the new boys looked around with expectant faces.
'What an awfully jolly place,' they said, as they sprang out on the beach. 'Awful fun, having an island of your own to do as you like with.'
'Half-an-hour allowed for gathering ammunition,' called out Marjorie. 'We'll show Harry and Gerald over the place when we've had our fight. We had better defend from the roof of the cottage, for we might pull down the walls if we defended from the inside.'
Some time was spent in digging clods of turf, a quantity of which was piled on the roof of the hut for the defenders, while the attackers disposed theirs in little heaps at a short distance from the fort.
'Now for the sea-weed,' cried Marjorie; 'nothing like getting a heap of wet tang thrown in your face when you're fighting.'
The tide was far out, and quantities of wet sea-weed lay exposed on the rocks.
'No stones to be taken,' said Allan, sawing through the tough, thick stalks with a large pocket-knife.
'How do you like our way of playing?' asked Marjorie of Harry, as she passed him, grasping in each hand a mass of wet sea-weed which dripped down on her frock and shoes.
'Awful fun,' replied the boy, his eyes sparkling with excitement.