'Hush, don't wake the others,' said Marjorie; but already Harry had stirred on his heather couch. 'It's Neil,' said Allan, as the boy sprang up, wide awake. 'He's going to stay here till morning.' 'Neil?' repeated Harry. 'Oh, I say, what a lark. Gerald, wake up, you lazy beggar, here's Neil at last--Neil, I tell you; get up,' and he administered a shove to his sleeping brother. By this time all the inmates of the cottage were awake, Hamish being the last to open a pair of bewildered, sleepy eyes. Room was made for Neil at the fire, the smouldering peats were roused to life, and the boys and girls clustered round, staring and asking questions, much too excited to think of sleep. 'How is your mother, Neil?' asked Tricksy, whose dark eyes looked bigger and darker than ever between surprise and sleepiness. 'She iss better, thank you, Miss Tricksy. I will have left her sleeping quietly, and I will pe coming here so that I can be going back early to see how she iss in the morning.' Then after a little hesitation he added, 'She has made me promise that I'll go away now. Rob MacLean's boat goes to-morrow evening.' 'Oh, what a sell!' exclaimed Harry, who had been sitting cross-legged by his hero and looking up in his face with sparkling eyes. 'I mean,' he added, somewhat confusedly, as he saw the faces of the others, 'I'm sorry you have to go; it would have been such fun if you could have stayed.' They conversed a little longer, but quietly, for the darkness and silence which reigned outside their little shelter, and the monotonous lapping of the waves made them drowsy; and one by one they dropped to sleep. Marjorie was the first to awaken. The clear morning light was already filling the hut, and the others were lying around and breathing heavily. She rose and went out of doors. The sun had not yet risen, but the clouds in the east were red. Some gulls were rising languidly above the shimmering water. Marjorie stood looking about her for a minute or two; then she ran into the cottage. 'Allan,' she cried, 'wake up! There are some people standing on the shore; your father and Mr. Graham and some others and Laddie is with them. They are just going to launch the boat. Get up, quick; there's no time to lose!' Neil was already on his feet, the events of the past few months having taught him to keep on the alert; and the others had begun to open their eyes and stretch themselves. 'Hullo,' said Reggie, grasping the situation, 'boat coming over here; that will never do.' 'Hurry up,' said Allan, 'or they'll be across before you know where you are.' 'You had better wait until we've gone,' said Marjorie to Neil. 'Stay in the cottage, or they may see you.' Hastily saying good-bye they ran down to the shore, but stopped short in dismay. The boat was gone. 'Comes of not having fastened her securely,'. said Allan; 'the current has carried her away.'