Angel Island

"Sure," said Honey, "it'll blow over in a few days. But now that they

can walk, let's offer to teach them how to dance and play tennis and

bocci and golf. And I'll tell you what - we'll lay out some gardens for

them - make them think they're beautifying the place. We might even

teach them how to put up shelves and a few little carpentering tricks

like that. That'll hold them for a while. Oh, you'll all come round to

my tactics sooner or later! Pay them compliments! Give them presents!

Jolly them along! And say, it will be fun to have some mixed doubles.

Gee, though, they'll be something fierce now they've learned how to

walk. They'll be here half the time. They'll have so many ideas how the

New Camp ought to be built and a woman is such an obstinate cuss. Asking

questions and arguing and interfering - they delay things so. We've got

to find out something harmless that'll keep them busy."

"Oh, we never can have them here - never in the world," Ralph agreed.

"But we'll fix them to-night. How about it, old top?" he inquired

jovially of Frank.

Frank did not answer.

In point of fact they did not "fix" the women that night, owing to the

simple reason that they found the camp deserted - not a sign of woman or

child in sight or hearing.

"Well, there's one thing about it," Ralph said on their way back to the

New Camp the next morning, "you can always beat any woman's game by just

ignoring it. They can stand anything but not being noticed. Now our play

is to do nothing and say nothing. They're on this island somewhere. They

can't walk off it, and they can't swim off it, and they can't fly off

it. They may stay away for day or more or possibly two. By the end of

week they'll certainly be starved out. And they'll be longing for our

society. We want to keep right at work as if nothing had happened. Let

them go and come as they please. But we take no notice - see! We've done

that once before and we can do it again. When they come home, they'll be

a pretty tired-out, hungry, discouraged gang of girls. I bet we never

hear another word out of them on this subject."

The men worked as usual the whole morning; but they talked less. They

were visibly preoccupied. At every pause, they glanced furtively up the

trail. When noon came, it was evident that they dropped their tools with

relief. They sat with their eyes glued to the path.