THEY FOUND TOM AT THE LAKE-SIDE, STANDING OVER A HUGE DEAD BEAR.
The Crusoes Of
The Frozen North
From the Well-known Story by
Dr. Gordon Stables
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER I
"I'm sure of one thing," said Aralia to her little sister Pansy, as theysat together one lovely summer afternoon on the garden seat, and gazedaway and away far over the North Sea. "I'm quite sure of one thing.Nobody ever could have so good an uncle as our uncle. Now, couldanybody, Pansy?"
"Oh no!" answered Pansy, shaking her pretty head. Pansy was hardly eightyears old, and always agreed with her older sister, who was nearlyeleven.
"How I wish he were home again from his old ship," sighed Aralia, "andTom with him!"
"Well, Ara, we can sit here hours and hours every day and watch the sea,can't we?"
"Yes, and we shall easily know the ship. As she goes by, shell set allher flags a-flying, and, if Father isn't at home, Mother will send upour great red flag on the garden pole. Oh dear! I could nearly cry forjoy to think of it!"
"And me too!" said Pansy.
"And me too!" Veevee seemed to say, as he gave a short bark, and,jumping down from the seat, ran round the garden, looking like a fluffywhite ball.
The sea was very blue, only patched with green wherever a cloud-shadowfell on it. Down beneath the cliff on which the cottage stood, the wavesbroke lazily in long white lines of foam. On the sea itself were vesselsof almost every kind, from the little fishing craft with brown sails togreat ships sailing away to distant lands.
Aralia knew what class of vessel each was by its rig; her best of uncleshad taught her. And well could she use the spy-glass too, which she nowheld to her right eye. It had been hard at first to keep the leftclosed, but she could manage it now quite easily without asking Pansy toclap a hand over it.
Soon she began to talk in little gasps:
"Oh, Pansy—I think—Oh, I'm nearly sure—yes—yes—it must be! it isUncle's ship! I can see the flags all a-flying—Hurrah! Come and look!"
Pansy sat on her sister's knee and peeped through the glass. Then boththe children started up and waved their arms in the air at the far-offship. They were just about to rush off to tell Mother, when their cousinFrank came up. He was a lad of about thirteen or fourteen, but he wasso tall and manly that he looked older.
Frank came into the garden with a rush and a run when he heard the girlscall out. A fishing basket was slung over his back, from which the tailsof fish stuck out, showing what good sport he had had.
"Hillo, Ara! H