"This was good of you, Gorgo," said Akka. "I didn't expect that you
would be at the meeting place ahead of us. Have you been here long?"
"I came early in the evening," replied Gorgo. "But I fear that the only
praise I deserve is for keeping my appointment with you. I've not been
very successful in carrying out the orders you gave me."
"I'm sure, Gorgo, that you have done more than you care to admit,"
assured Akka. "But before you relate your experiences on the trip, I
shall ask Thumbietot to help me find something which is supposed to be
buried on this island."
The boy stood gazing admiringly at two beautiful shells, but when Akka
spoke his name, he glanced up.
"You must have wondered, Thumbietot, why we turned out of our course to
fly here to the West Sea," said Akka.
"To be frank, I did think it strange," answered the boy. "But I knew, of
course, that you always have some good reason for whatever you do."
"You have a good opinion of me," returned Akka, "but I almost fear you
will lose it now, for it's very probable that we have made this journey
in vain.
"Many years ago it happened that two of the other old geese and myself
encountered frightful storms during a spring flight and were wind-driven
to this island. When we discovered that there was only open sea before
us, we feared we should be swept so far out that we should never find
our way back to land, so we lay down on the waves between these bare
cliffs, where the storm compelled us to remain for several days.
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