"He's a-waitin' fer yo', Missy! Don' be skeered; I'se gwine to take keer
of yo'."
"Do you know the way back, Estralla?" asked Sylvia. "I couldn't find the
fort."
"No, Missy; I reckon we couldn't fin' nuthin' now, 'tis too nigh dark.
But thar's a cabin an' a boat jes' over t'other side o' dis san' heap. I
kin fin' them," responded Estralla, turning back. They walked very
slowly, for Estralla wanted to be quite sure that they were going in the
right direction, and not until they were in sight of the cabin and the
shadowy outlines of the boat did she feel safe. Then with a sigh of
relief she exclaimed:
"Wat I tell yo', Missy Sylvia! Ain't dar a boat, like what I said? An'
don' yo' know all 'bout a boat? Course yo' does. Now yo' can sail us
right off home. An' when yo' pa comes home 'mos' skeered to def, 'cos he
cyan't fin' yo', thar' yo'll be," and Estralla chuckled happily as if
all their troubles were over.
But Sylvia was not so sure. Unless there was a sail or a pair of oars
the boat would be of little use, and even with oars and sail could she
guide the boat safely to Charleston?
They soon discovered that there was a pair of oars in the boat, but
there was no sail or tiller. Sylvia could row, but Estralla could not be
of any use. But it seemed the only way in which they could reach either
Fort Moultrie or their home, for both the little girls realized that
they might wander about the sand-hills all night without finding their
way back to the fort.
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