It was one Father had taken from a drawer in the bookcase which he had cleaned out the night before . We patched the kite up with the letter , a sheet on each side , and dried it by the fire . Then we started out , and up went the kite like a bird . The wind was glorious , and it soared and strained like something alive . All at once -- snap ! And there was Claude , standing with a bit of cord in his hand , looking as foolish as a flatfish , and our kite sailing along at a fearful rate of speed over to the mainland . I might have said to Claude , So like a boy ! but I did n't . Instead , I sympathized with him , and pointed out that it really did n't matter because I had spoiled it by jabbing my elbow through it . By this time the kite was out of sight , and we never expected to see or hear of it again . * * * * * A month later a letter came to the Big Half Moon for Father . Jake Wiggins brought it over in his sloop . Father went off by himself to read it , and such a queer-looking face as he had when he came back ! His eyes looked as if he had been crying , but that could n't be , I suppose , because Claude says men never cry . Anyhow , his face was all glad and soft and smiley . `` Do you two young pirates and freebooters want to know what has become of your kite ? '' he said . Then he sat down beside us on the rocks at the Mermaid 's Pool and told us the whole story , and read his letter to us . It was the most amazing thing . It seems Father had had relations after all -- a brother and a sister in particular .
But when he was a young man he quarrelled with his XXXXX , who did n't treat him very well -- but he 's been dead for years , so I wo n't say a word against him -- and had gone away from home .
boy brother men pirates relations rocks story thing time wind