“No, no! Nelson will surely try to swim over to join us, you know!” cried Miriam.
“Did Nelse ever swim as far as this?” asked Paul.
“You bet he did, the old rascal!” laughed Billy.
“It was one day when Mamma and all of us from Isola Bella came to a picnic over here and Nelson was left alone. After he hunted everywhere for some one to share his watch, he decided to follow after us. We had all gone to the south end when we heard a crashing through the bushes back of us. And there stood old Nelse—all in, too, from the long swim in the icy water,” explained Miriam.
“Gee whiz! Nelson ought to have a Grand coup for that!” laughed Dudley.
“Well, that’s why Papa doesn’t want him to try it again,” added Miriam, seriously.
“Why—because he won a Grand coup?” teased Billy.
“Oh, you know what I mean!” retorted Miriam, while the others laughed merrily.
“Doesn’t the tide make the island a lot bigger when it is low?” remarked Paul, looking curiously at the shore line.
“Yes, it adds an acre or two to the area,” replied Fred.