"Oh, they're all right," broke in Fred. "The _Gadabout_ and the skiff
were both beyond the point when the storm broke and they had no trouble
in keeping to the lee of the point."
"This fire feels good anyway," said John, whose long, attenuated frame
was trembling with cold, in spite of the warmth which had followed the
shower.
"Sorry, boys, that I cannot give you a change," said the man, smiling
dryly as he spoke. As he was a man who weighed at least 190 pounds, while
John's form towered at least six inches higher and his weight was at
least seventy pounds less, the idea of either wearing the clothing of the
other was so ludicrous that Fred laughed aloud at the suggestion.
"That's all right," said John quickly. "All we want is a chance to dry
out before the mate gets back."
"How are you going to get back to Mackinac?"
"I don't know," said John ruefully. "We thought that perhaps the mate
could get word to the _Gadabout_ and the motor-boat would stop for us."
"How can he get word to the _Gadabout_?"
"I'm sure I don't know," said Fred. "We don't know anything about this
part of the country. It's the first time we ever were here. We thought
perhaps the captain might know some point where he could signal. It isn't
more than two or three miles across, is it?"
"Not here," responded the man. "But you are cold and I shouldn't be
surprised if you were both hungry. I've seen fellows at your age who
sometimes were afflicted in that manner. I'll put some more wood on the
fire and we'll dry you out and then we'll see what we can do."
Placing his hands together in a peculiar manner the man whistled through
them and in response, in an incredibly short time, a little Japanese
serving man appeared.
"Mike," said the man, "see if you can't find something for these hungry
young fellows to eat. They were caught in the storm and their boat was
wrecked down here in the cove."
The Japanese laughed loudly at the explanation and then quickly turning
about departed from the house.
"What do you say his name is?" inquired Fred.
"We call him Mike."
"I never heard of a Japanese with that name."
"Well, I don't suppose that is his full name. That's a mouthful and I
don't often speak it. He has been with me for several years and when he
first came some one named him Mikado, that was shortened to Mik, and of
late that's been gradually changing to Mike."
"Then he wasn't born in Ireland?" laughed John.
"No, he belongs to the Sunrise Kingdom. He will have something for you to
eat very soon. I have been coming here for several years now every
summer."
"Where is your home?" inquired John.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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