“See here, boys, if you go alone on this quest, you must promise to stick together. We have never been all over the island and there may be danger spots that we know nothing of, you see. With a crowd there is comparative safety, but should one of you straggle away and get into trouble it might be difficult to help,” admonished Uncle Bill.
The very seriousness of the habitually jolly man made an impression on the boys so that Fred promised for all of them. “And we’ll be all right, folks, never fear,” added he.
“I don’t see why we girls can’t go with you,” pouted Trixie.
“That isn’t it, but I really do not approve of the boys going alone, to say nothing of you girls going too!” remonstrated Aunt Miriam.
The boys made quick work of getting away for fear of being called back by one of the troubled mothers while the girls were soon engaged in finding new specimens of flowers for their books.
“If we gather them now we can identify and arrange them after lunch this noon,” suggested Elizabeth.
The boys had covered many acres of the island and were feeling like genuine explorers when Billy suddenly spied a fish-hawk’s nest high up in a tall spruce.
“Great Scott, Bill! What a chance to get a snapshot of that osprey’s nest,” called Fred.
“It’s lucky that I brought my kodak, isn’t it?” added Paul.