Sauntering hither on listless wings, Careless vagabond of the sea, Little thou heed'st the surf that sings, The bar that thunders, the shale that rings.
Little thou hast, old friend, that's new, Storms and wrecks are old things to thee, Sick am I of those changes too; Little to care for, little to rue, I on the shore, and thou on the sea.
Lazily rocking on ocean's breast, Something in common old friend have we; Thou on the shingle seek'st thy nest, I to the waters look for rest, I on the shore, thou on the sea.
But Kep now began to think, to dream of home. What a long, long time had elapsed, reckoning by events, since he sailed away from the white cliffs of England. What would his brave, proud father be doing at this moment, and dear Madge and her playmate Bounder; Madge would be missing her letters, she would be praying for him too, every night. Wonder if ever she went up alone to his turret chamber, high above the waving elms. Wonder if Bob, the great white owl, ever came more now to look in of a night, or if he had forgotten Kep entirely. Wonder how long it would take a sea gull to fly to England. If _he_ had wings he wondered if--if----
He started to his feet. He had fallen asleep in that grey old arm-chair.
"Coming, Adolph; coming, comrade, coming?"
But now they gat them back to the ship, and it took all the afternoon to lengthen the guys, by splicing on additional pieces, for the work had to be very strong to stand the strain.
The boat was lowered and launched next day, and it really was new life for them to paddle around the coast in her.
The boat was anchored in a little cove every night now, and in her they slept. It was a capital arrangement, and they had no more bother with the snakes.
But on nights when the sea was rough--which was not very often, because when it blew, it did so in dead earnest, and soon had done with it--they hauled her well up on the sand, and slept peacefully as usual.
They went to the hill-top almost every day--but no, no, no, they never saw a sail, and they began to think they would live and die on Great Snake Island.
But as far as the boat was concerned, they grew bolder and bolder.
They stepped a little mast and a brief jib-boom, and set sail therein, and when the wind was favourable went quite a long way out. At last they determined to visit the far off and greater island. So one day, when the wind was favourable, they loaded up with everything needful, hoisted their canvas and started.