You'll be quite safe with George.
She can handle a boat like a man."
The three children looked eagerly at the weather the next day when they got up. The sun was shining, and everything seemed splendid.
"Isn't it a marvellous day?"said Anne to George,as they dressed.
"I'm so looking forward to going to the island."
"Well, honestly, I think really we oughtn't to go," said George, unexpectedly.
"Oh, but why?" cried Anne, in dismay.
"I think there's going to be a storm or something," said George, looking out to the south-west.
"But, George, why do you say that?" said Anne, impatiently.
"Look at the sun— and there's hardly a cloud in the sky!"
"The wind is wrong," said George.
"And can't you see the little white tops to the waves out there by my island?
That's always a bad sign."
"Oh George— it will be the biggest disappointment of our lives if we don't go today," said Anne, who couldn't bear any disappointment, big or small.
"And besides," she added, artfully, "if we hang about the house, afraid of a storm, we shan't be able to have dear old Tim with us."
"Yes, that's true," said George.
"All right— we'll go.
But mind, if a storm does come, you're not to be a baby.
You're to try and enjoy it and not be frightened."
"Well, I don't much like storms," began Anne, but stopped when she saw George's scornful look.
They went down to breakfast, and George asked her mother if they could take their dinner as they had planned.
"Yes," said her mother.
"You and Anne can help to make the sandwiches.
You boys can go into the garden and pick some ripe plums.to take with you.
Julian, you can go down to the village when you've done that and buy some bottles of lemonade or ginger-beer, whichever you like."
"Ginger-pop for me, thanks!" said Julian, and everyone else said the same.
They all felt very happy.
It would be marvellous to visit the queer little island.
George felt happy because she would be with Tim all day.
They set off at last, the food in two kit-bags.
The first thing they did was to fetch Tim.
He was tied up in the fisher-boy's back yard.
The boy himself was there, and grinned at George.
"Morning, Master George," he said.
It seemed so queer to the other children to hear Georgina called 'Master George'!
'Tim's been barking his head off for you.
I guess he knew you were coming for him today."
"Of course he did," said George, untying him.
He at once went completely mad, and tore round and round the children, his tail down and his ears flat.
"He'd win any race if only he was a greyhound," said Julian, admiringly.
"You can hardly see him for dust.
Tim! Hie, Tim!
Come and say "Good-morning"."
Tim leapt up and licked Julian's left ear as he passed on his whirlwind way.
Then he sobered down and ran lovingly by George as they all made their way to the beach.
He licked George's bare legs every now and again, and she pulled at his ears gently.
They got into the boat, and George pushed off.
The fisher-boy waved to them.
"You won't be very long, will you?" he called. "There's a storm blowing up.
Bad one it'll be, too."