“Oh, no!” sputtered Bobby, the words tumbling over each other.  “Nothing like that!  But there’s somebody on Kidd’s Island!”

“There is?” said the captain sharply.  “How do you know?”

Meg and Bobby and Dot and Twaddles insisted on all explaining at once, but somehow the captain succeeded in understanding what they were trying to tell him.

“Waving a rag, eh?” he said thoughtfully.  “Well, I might take a little run up there, though I wasn’t calculating to go so far north this morning.

“May we go?  Please, may we go?” pleaded Bobby.

“Ask your mother—­or no, give me the glasses, and I’ll have a squint at this waving rag,” answered the captain.  “Maybe it won’t be anything you’ll want to see.”

He took the glasses from Meg and strode off to the Harley shack, followed by the children, who were now almost beside themselves with excitement.

Captain Jenks took a long look toward Kidd’s Island, then whistled.

“Well, I never!” he said softly, as though speaking to himself.

“What is it?” asked Bobby.  “May we go?”

“I guess it will be all right, Son,” replied the captain kindly.  “Run ask your mother, and if she is willing, I’ll take you all.”

“Mother isn’t at home,” explained Bobby.  “She and Daddy rowed to Greenpier.  She would say yes, I know she would.”

“Well—­all right!” decided Captain Jenks.  “I’ll take you to Kidd’s Island and drop you here at the wharf on the way back.  I think we’re going to be what the papers call a rescuing party.”

The four little Blossoms hurried on board The Sarah before the captain should change his mind.  A rescue!  Could anything be more exciting!  As Twaddles remarked afterward, he wouldn’t have missed coming to Apple Tree Island for anything in the world.

The captain took the wheel, and the boat chug-chugged swiftly toward Kidd’s Island.  When they were off shore they could see the rag quite plainly.  It was a small handkerchief tied to an oar.

But no pirate was waving the forlorn little signal.

“Look, look!” cried Meg, as though afraid Captain Jenks might not see.  “It’s a girl and two little boys!”

CHAPTER XIV

THE RESCUE

The four little Blossoms crowded to the rail of The Sarah and stared dumbly at the slim girl in a pink frock who had been waving the oar.

“Why, if it isn’t Letty Blake!” said Captain Jenks cheerfully.  “How long have you been living on Kidd’s Island?”

To the surprise of the children, Letty Blake flung her oar to one side and sat down in the sand and cried.

Captain Jenks hastily tied his boat to the wooden post and jumped ashore.

“You’re all right now, child,” he told the girl, patting her kindly on the shoulder.  “Look at all the crew who offered to come help me rescue you.  And who are these small tykes?”