"
I rowed them out beyond the Holms, for it was a bright calm day;
and when we got out into the breezy bay the mast was stepped, the
little lug sail hoisted, and then we went speeding over to Graemsay
island like a sheer water skimming the waves. Graemsay was our
imagined El Dorado, and on the voyage we fancied ourselves
encountering many surprising adventures. Shipwrecks and sea fights
were by no means uncommon events. We threw spars of wood over the
stern, and at the cry of "Man overboard!" the ship was put about to
pick him up. But while we easily overcame these imagined disasters,
there were some real dangers to encounter, and in the midst of our
merry talk and laughter we had ever to keep a careful watch on the
conduct of the boat, and to look out for the safest channels and
the sunken rocks. Hilda, who regarded the approach of an imagined
iceberg with complacency, became really timid when she noticed a
heavy squall coming towards us from the outer sea; and until the
sail had been lowered, and our bow hove round to meet the breeze
and let it pass, I believe she was not quite confident that I was
able to manage the boat in safety.
Thora had often referred to this pleasant sail, and the few
primroses I had gathered for her on the banks of a rivulet running
down one of the Graemsay glens she had worn at her neck for many
days.
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