She kissed them all round. They all kissed fat Vicky. Nurse and Vicky got into the boat and sat down in the stern.
Titty said, “Mother, you don’t mind being a native, do you?”
“Not a bit,” said mother.
“Then just for one minute I’ll be a native too. What about rubbing noses? Like the natives you told us about in the Australian bush.”
Titty and the female native rubbed noses, after which, of course, Roger had to do the same.
Then the female native kissed all the Swallows goodbye and took her place in the boat. The empty hamper was lifted in. John and Susan pushed the boat off, and mother rowed away.
“Let’s be a convoy,” said Captain John.
In a moment Swallow was afloat, her crew was aboard, and Captain John was rowing as hard as he could. The female native waited, resting on her oars. Then they rowed side by side. It was much harder to row Swallow than to row the boat from Holly Howe, because Swallow was deep in the water and built for sailing, not rowing. But the female native did not hurry. At last, just before they came to Houseboat Bay, Captain John stopped. He did not want to see the houseboat again that day. He turned Swallow round.
“Goodbye, natives,” called Titty.
“Goodbye, palefaces,” called the female native. “Drool is the word, isn’t it? Drool. Drool.”
“Let me row,” said Roger.
“Let me,” said Titty.