'Oh,' sighed Tricksy after the breathless pause during which they were uncertain whether the officers were really going to enter the gate or would pass by; 'they've gone in. I saw that nice one who came here last year. Do you think they can be going to invite us to come on board?'
This question being rather difficult to answer, Allan suggested that the boys should go down to the shore and see if any of their old friends were in the boat.
'Marjorie,' said Tricksy, as the two girls remained looking down from above; 'do you think we should have better fun if we were boys?'
Marjorie's reply was forestalled by a shout from below; and the girls scrambled down to the beach.
'Come along, you two,' said Allan; 'here's Jim Macdonnell, Euan's twin brother, and a lot of the men who were here last year.'
Greetings were exchanged with the pleasant-faced young blue-jacket and his companions; and then the boys and girls sat down on the stones to talk with their friends.
The men could not come on shore, as no leave had yet been given, but they hoped to be allowed to land on the following day.
'You will be glad to see Euan,' said Marjorie to Jim Macdonnell.
'Yes, Miss Marjorie,' replied the lad, but his handsome face clouded; and Marjorie knew that he was thinking of his cousin Neil, once the favourite of the island.
'We were going to ask you, Mr. Allan,' he said, 'whether you young gentlemen would come and have tea on board this afternoon; just with us men, you know, sir.'