Anne fell asleep at once. Julian and Dick were not long— but George lay awake for some time, thinking of her island, her wreck— and, of course, her beloved dog!
"I must take Tim too," she thought, as she fell asleep.
"We can't leave old Tim out of this.
He shall share in the adventure too!
Chapter Eight EXPLORING THE WRECK
JULIAN woke first the next morning.
He awoke just as the sun was slipping over the horizon in the east, and filling the sky with gold.
Julian stared at the ceiling for a moment, and then, in a rush, he remembered all that had happened the day before.
He sat up straight in bed and whispered as loudly as he could.
"Dick! Wake up!
We're going to see the wreck!
Do wake up!"
Dick woke and grinned at Julian.
A feeling of happiness crept over him.
They were going on an adventure.
He leapt out of bed and ran quietly to the girls' room. He opened the door.
Both the girls were fast asleep, Anne curled up like a dormouse under the sheet.
Dick shook George and then dug Anne in the back.
They awoke and sat up.
"Buck up!" whispered Dick.
"The sun is just rising.
We'll have to hurry."
George's blue eyes shone as she dressed.
Anne skipped about quietly, finding her few clothes— just a bathing suit, jeans and jersey— and rubber shoes for her feet.
It wasn't many minutes before they were all ready.
"Now, not a creak on the stairs— not a cough or a giggle!" warned Julian, as they stood together on the landing.
Anne was a dreadful giggler, and had often given secret plans away by her sudden explosive choke.
But this time the little girl was as solemn as the others, and as careful.
They crept down the stairs and undid the little front door. Not a sound was made.
They shut the door quietly and made their way down the garden path to the gate.
The gate always creaked, so they climbed over it instead of opening it.
The sun was now shining brightly, though it was still low in the eastern sky.
It felt warm already.
The sky was so beautifully blue that Anne couldn't help feeling it had been freshly washed!
"It looks just as if it had come back from the laundry," she told the others.
They squealed with laughter at her.
She did say odd things at times.
But they knew what she meant.
The day had a lovely new feeling about itthe clouds were so pink in the bright blue sky, and the sea looked so smooth and fresh.
It was impossible to imagine that it had been so rough the day before.
George got her boat. Then she went to get Tim, while the boys hauled the boat down to the sea.
Alf, the fisher-boy, was surprised to see George so early.
He was about to go with his father, fishing. He grinned at George.
"You going fishing, too?" he said to her.
"My, wasn't that a storm yesterday!
I thought you'd be caught in it."
"We were," said George.
"Come on, Tim!
Come on!"
Tim was very pleased to see George so early.