76 BRAGGADOCIO.

“But, Tom, what right have we to this
island,” inquired Bessie, thoughtfully.

Yom.—It is an uninhabited island.

BLessie.—It must belong to some body.

Tom.—I don’t think it does. Well, we shall
do no harm to any body by staying upon
it whenever we please. So take all the com-
fort you can on Bessie’s Island.

Bessie-—It sounds like Martha’s Vineyard
—the island we studied about last winter.
Where shall we put our dinner-basket while
we wander about it ?

Tom looked around, and soon discovered a
flat rock that, he said, would do nicely for a
dinner-table. There they left the basket. They
then commenced exploring the uninhabitable
island.

It was of the immense size of half an acre.
That was quite large enough for their fancy.
The bright river, with its blue little waves,
now glittering in the sun, surrounded the
lovely island, dashed up its spray among the
rocks on the shore. In midsummer the river
was much more shallow. At present it was
swollen with the snow that had melted and