Mrs. Seaman has given this story a feeling of suspense, a delightful reality and a lively humorous quality which makes it one of the best she has ever written.

It was indeed a curious affair at Heron Shoals. Marty Greene, who lived with her grandmother on a narrow strip of land along the coast, at first resented the intrusion of the three new boarders—young Ted Burnett, talented musician of about Marty's age, his father, and Monsieur Aubert, Ted's music teacher. Later she came to like them very much, especially when Ted agreed that there was something very queer about Methuselah, her grandmother's ancient yellow parrot. Why should Thusy yell every so often, "I'll never tell— Hide it, Jack, hide it." And why should the irrepressible bird show a knowledge of French? These things puzzled Marty and Ted, and they decided to do their best to solve the mystery. In the course of their adventures which reach their climax in a hurricane which endangers their lives, other puzzling questions arise: What had caused the feud between Marty's grandfather and the keeper of the local coast guard station? Who was the educated well-to-do sailor who had been shipwrecked? What had become of the mysterious black box that he carried? And where in these exciting problems did Thusy the parrot fit in?

From the dust jacket