MARY FRANCES awoke with a start, and rubbed her eyes.
“Surely I heard somebody call,” she said.
Again came the call, “Land ahoy! Land ahoy!”
“Why, that is what they called out on Columbus’ ship when they discovered America!” thought Mary Frances, hurriedly dressing. “I wonder if we are discovering anything.”
It was just getting light as she ran out on deck. At first she did not see any living thing except the dolphin, which was swimming ahead of the boat. She gazed around on the water. It was a deep blue color.
“It looks like the tub of bluing water when Nora rinses the clothes,” she thought. “I wonder if it will color anything?” She ran to the railing, dipped up a pailful and dropped in her handkerchief. “Just clear water,” she said; and hung it up to dry.
“Land ahoy!” came the call once more. Mary Frances looked up at the sails. There was the cat. He was sitting on the rope ladder, and holding his forepaws like a telescope. As soon as he saw Mary Frances, he pointed ahead and shouted, “Land ahoy!” Then she saw a dim outline of coast.
The cat scrambled down the rigging, and ran up to her. “Story Island! See!” he said.
“Why,” exclaimed Mary Frances, “why, how long have I been asleep? I thought you said something about a year!”
“Ha, ha!” laughed the cat. “A year and a day, I said, and that it nearly is. You have been asleep just three hundred and sixty-five days and some hours.”
“Have I really?” exclaimed Mary Frances; then hearing a sudden splash in the water, “Oh, what was that? Was it the pirate?”
“That? That wasn’t anything to be afraid of--just some flying fish,” answered the cat.
“Do they really have wings?” asked Mary Frances.
“They certainly do. Come, let us look into the water and see if there are any near the boat,” said the cat.
“Oh, oh, oh,” exclaimed Mary Frances, “what a beautiful fish I see! It has a tail of gold and a head of blue--turquoise blue. Isn’t it beautiful! See it, there!”
“Yes, I do,” said the cat; “it is an angel fish.”
“An angel fish! That’s just the right name for it,” said Mary Frances.
“Yes, I believe somebody who tasted one named it that,” said the cat.
“Surely nobody would eat such a beautiful creature,” Mary Frances said.
The cat smiled. “Its beauty is more than skin deep,” he said.
