CHAPTER FOUR 



The Diary 



AS SOON AS Jonathan entered the parlour the observant 

 Mrs. Mather noticed the wild flushed look in the boy's 

 normally calm face and thinking that he had a fever sent 

 him to bed with a drink of warm goat's milk. Through 

 long hours of sleeplessness he lay wondering why Sykes 

 had killed the Indian. 



In the days that followed, time slowly healed the shock 

 of his experience in the wood and the activities of the 

 islanders became of increasing interest to his enquiring 

 mind. 



One evening after he had said goodnight to the inn- 

 keeper and his wife he sat on the bed in the flickering 

 candlelight of his room and feeling strangely wakeful did 

 not undress as usual. Instead he went to the small table 

 on which lay an old and tattered accounting book which 



