"Yes; and then if any of the search-party come to Havnholme, they will know by that that Signy has been found."
The hour was late, and Yaspard began to speculate upon what Aunt Osla and Uncle Brüs would say on being roused from their slumbers to receive the adventurers and hear the story which had so nearly ended in a tragedy.
"I am afraid uncle will be very angry," said Yaspard; but Signy, who lived closer to the eccentric old man's heart and understood it better, affirmed that he would be so pleased to have her back in safety he would not "break out" on anybody. "Besides," she added, "he will see that we couldn't leave that poor man, and that it was all just a mere accident."
Yaspard was not so confident, nor yet was Fred, but they did not discuss the point further; only Fred remarked, "I'd carry you both straight away to Lunda, and get Dr. Holtum to take you home and smooth matters as he only can; but ill news travels fast, and it is quite possible that the catastrophe has been reported at Moolapund; and reported with twenty exaggerations tacked on to it. In that case the sooner you are home the better;" and Signy added, "I'd like best to go home."
Home had seemed so dear and far away while she was alone, that now her whole heart was turning to it with a passionate yearning; and her companions thoroughly understood the full meaning of her little sentence.
The events of the last twenty-four hours had completely driven all else from our Viking's mind, and he did not remember that he had trysted the lads of Lunda to meet him that night at (what they had named) Gloy's geo. But they, knowing nothing of what had taken place after they parted from the Osprey, were not likely to break bargain in such an affair—promising, as it did, some rare fun.
The boats which Fred had sent out to scour the seas had not approached the Ootskerries, knowing that the Laulie was there, and that her crew were not likely to miss seeing the lost boat if it came that way. Moreover, the fishermen calculated that the tide would carry her in a more southerly direction, altogether ignorant of the influence, at a precise and fortunate moment, of cross-currents. As we have seen, Fred Garson judged differently and with a better result.
But of all these things our lads were ignorant; therefore, shortly after Fred's boat entered Boden voe the Laulie set out from the Ootskerries for her rendezvous; and what next happened to her crew you shall learn when we have safely housed the young Adiesens at Moolapund.
There was the complete and brooding silence of Nature at rest over land and sea when the boat sailed up the voe, and the three adventurers did not speak a word till Signy caught sight of a light.
"Oh," she cried, "look! uncle has not gone to bed; there is a lamp burning in the parlour still."