United States or Isle of Man ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"My sister Isobel and I," said Fred, "always feel that we are more fortunate than the greater number of Lairds' families in having so many companions in our island. It has been desperately good for me, I know, to have such clever chaps as Eric Mitchell and Svein Holtum for my chums." "And your sister? Dr. Holtum's girls are younger?" "Yes, and Isobel suffers in consequence.
Then turning to her uncle, she said, "Good-bye, dear uncle; we Yaspard and I will be back soon." "Not to-night, sir, if you please," Tom cried eagerly; "we shall want to keep her a little while;" and the Laird answered, "It shall be as Dr. Holtum may think best. Take care of her, boys."
Then Yaspard struck his colours, and remarked, "You need not be so particular with your grappling-irons, Holtum; I yield myself to the fortune of fair fight." "Come aboard us," said Harry. "You did awfully well, and needn't mind that Tom's dodge was more successful than yours. It was a low kind of trick on the whole, but we were determined to make you our prisoner."
"Thor is right for once," said Dr. Holtum, "and it is quite time we were all on the wing for our homes; so, shoo! shoo! shoo!" and he put out his hands, as if he were driving away a flock of birds, with the result that every one "made tracks" for the boats.
"The Doctor is a man in a thousand. He did me a service I am not likely to forget on this side the grave. I don't see him as often as might be under different circumstances. But I respect him. Yes, young man, I respect Dr. Holtum!" And the frown which had gathered on the old man's brow at mention of the Mitchells cleared up more rapidly than Fred had dared to hope for.
"I don't know how we should get along without Dr. Holtum we young ones, I mean," he remarked. "He enters so much into all our fun, and then he is so very clever too, a first-rate scientist. They have a 'menagerie, as large and interesting as your own, at Collaster.
Holtum, and after that I was tae do as I liked aboot mysel'. Then he rowed awa' again. And so noo my tale is ended;" and, having so delivered himself of the longest speech he ever made in his life, Gloy sprawled on the turf, and lay kicking his heels in the sunshine, feeling himself to be the hero of the hour. Yaspard drew a long breath.
But when she was released from those loving feminine hands and went down to the little quay with Uncle Brüs to join the boys, Tom Holtum thought he had never seen a sweeter vision of a ladye faire than she appeared in her cream-white frock and navy-blue cloak and hat, her shining hair hanging about the lovely little face, and her eyes shining like stars on a frosty night.
But when to-morrow morning came there had been a breeze in the night which had raised the sea a bit, and Dr. Holtum would not permit them to leave until it had subsided, notwithstanding the Viking's declaration that he never minded such a small thing as that. "My boat and I go out in rough weather," he declared; "and even Signy would laugh at the idea of calling this a 'rough morning!"
Adiesen, who assured him there was no necessity for their effacing themselves, as he believed a very few words with the Norna's skipper would explain everything. "I wish I had not come on a disagreeable errand," said Dr. Holtum, as he shook hands all round. "Yes, Tom, I expected to find you boys here. You generally do contrive to get on Fred's track.
Word Of The Day