They had absolutely no idea it was so late. Time had simply flown. They must get back immediately, and even then might expect to lose order marks. Regardless of scratches, they scurried through the brambles to the place where they had left their raft. To their horror it was gone! They had forgotten to anchor it, and it had floated out into the middle of the moat.
This was indeed a predicament! They looked at each other aghast.
"We're marooned, that's what it is!" stammered Aveline. "Raymonde, you're the silliest idiot I've ever met in the course of my life!"
"Can't help it--it's the truth! Whatever did you bring me out here for, on such a wild-goose chase?"
"I didn't! You've landed me in a horrible scrape. I've been late for prep. twice already this week, and Gibbie gave me enough jaw-wag last time, so what she'll say this time, goodness knows! How are we ever going to get back?"
Raymonde shook her head and whistled. She might have attempted to defend herself, but Aveline by this time had begun to sob hysterically, and she knew that arguments were useless. The prospects of immediate rescue certainly appeared doubtful. Everyone would be indoors for preparation. No doubt they would be missed, and probably a monitress might be sent in quest of them, but the house would be searched first, and then the barns and garden; and it was quite problematical whether it would enter into anybody's head to walk to the edge of the moat, and look across towards the island.
"I suppose you can't swim?" asked Aveline, choking back her sobs, and dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief.
"No; only a little bit when somebody holds me up. Whoever would have thought of that wretched raft floating off in that fashion? It's too sickening!"
"Don't you think we'd better give a good shout?"
The girls put their united lung power into the loudest halloo of which they were capable, but it only scared a blackbird in the orchard, and provoked no human response. They sat down in a place where they could be best seen from the mainland, and waited. There were too many brambles for comfort, and the midges were biting badly. Raymonde began to wonder whether, after all, the island were as ideal a situation for a residence as she had supposed. Some lines from a parody on one of Rogers's poems flashed into her mind: