“Alice and Emmy roused at his cry, to be first frightened, then charmed, to find themselves under their Father’s care. Before long the whole party were awake, and lively as crickets.
“‘Only think, Emmy, I thought it was a buffalo, and it’s only a cow!’ concluded Jack.
“‘Cows!’ shuddered Alice. ‘Were there any cows on the Island? O Papa, I’m so glad you came for us! I should have been so scared!’
“‘Why, Alice!’ cried Reginald. ‘Afraid! when you know you said you wanted to have a rhinoceros come, or at least an anaconda.’
“‘Oh well!’ replied Alice, ‘I wouldn’t have minded them; but I’m afraid of cows!’
“I wasn’t quite easy all the way across. The Sea had evidently got his back up, and I didn’t know but he might yet break out at any moment, and do some dreadful mischief to the Browns. All went well, however; and just in the faint gray of morning the boat scraped the sand, where stood, dimly seen, a waiting figure. It was poor Mrs. Brown, who, all that dreadful night, had stood there listening, and looking off to sea.
“‘All right, Mother!’ called out Mr. Brown, in a joyful, husky voice.
“But Mrs. Brown could not speak. When her husband laid little Tom in her arms, and she felt his warm touch, she began to cry. The others crowded about her, she hugged them tight, kissed the up-turned faces without a word, and led them into the house, still crying for joy.
“I had a frog in my own throat, I can tell you,” continued September, “so glad was I to see them safe at home again. But the Sea was growling at my heels in a surly way, which aggravated me; so that, there being no longer any reason for keeping the peace, I just went at him, and relieved my feelings by one of the fiercest quarrels we ever had. For a week we fought like giants. We tossed ships and lighthouses at each other, and filled the world with fear. The people on the coast still talk about it, and call it the great September gale. Though why September, I don’t know. I’m sure it was a great deal more Ocean’s fault than mine!”
“Oh!” said Thekla, drawing a long breath, “I’m so glad the children got safely to land.”