Arrived on the shore, the girls found their expectations fully justified. Several most interesting-looking pieces of driftwood were bobbing about just at the edge of the waves, and with a little clever management could probably be secured, and would make a valuable addition to the stack which was to furnish their beacon fire. Jessie Macpherson, who possessed a pair of wading boots, was soon in command, directing the others how to act so that none of the flotsam should be lost, and marshalling her band of eager volunteers with the skill of a coastguardsman. "Wait for the next big wave! Have your hockey sticks ready! Doris and Francie and I will wade in and try to catch it, then, when the wave's going back, you must all make a rush and try to hold it. Not this wave! Wait for that huge one that's coming. Are you ready? Now! Now!" The owners of the wading boots did their duty nobly. They caught at the floating piece of timber and held on to it grimly, while a line of girls followed the retreating wave, and, making a dash, seized the trophy, and rolled it into safety. "Oh, it's a gorgeous big one--the largest we have!" "That was neatly done!" "We've robbed old Father Neptune this time!" "It's a piece of luck!" "Of flotsam, you mean!" "Three cheers for the beacon!" "Hip, hip, hip, hooray!" "Hooray! Hooray!" echoed Dulcie, then she looked round, and suddenly touched Deirdre on the arm. In the midst of the general excitement Gerda had vanished. Where had she gone? That was the question which the chums at once asked each other. It was impossible that in so short a space of time she could have scaled the steep path from the cove on to the top of the cliff. She must surely have run along the shore instead. To the east the great mass of crags formed an impassable barrier, but it was just practicable to round the headland to the west. Without a moment's delay they dashed off in that direction. They tore in hot haste over the wet sand, scrambled anyhow amongst the seaweed-covered rocks at the point, regardless of injury to clothing, and, valiantly leaping a narrow channel, turned the corner, and found themselves in a second cove, similar to the former, but larger and more inaccessible from the cliffs. They were rewarded for their promptitude, as the first sight that caught their eyes was Gerda, speeding along several hundred yards in front of them, as if she had some definite object in view. "Shall I shout after her?" gasped Dulcie. "Not for the world," returned Deirdre. "We mustn't let her know she's being followed." "If she looks back, she'll see us." "We'll hide behind this rock." "She'll be round the next corner in a minute." "So she will. Then, look here, we must wait till she's gone, and then climb up the cliff, and run along and peep over from the top." "Whew! It'll be a climb." "Never mind, we'll manage it. Let us take off our coats and carry them. I'm so hot."