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A brief examination of the Barona's hull by a diver showed that the havoc wrought by the sea and rocks had been so great that but little of value could be saved. So the tug started back that very afternoon, and the captain and the mate of the yacht went with her. The weather was now much cooler, and the boys were glad that their stay was to be short.
And to be near Lady Florimel! to have to wait on her in the yacht and sometimes in the house! to be allowed books from the library perhaps! to have a nice room, and those lovely grounds all about him! It was tempting! The old man also, the more he reflected, liked the idea the more. The only thing he murmured at was, being parted from his grandson at night.
On the following morning, immediately after breakfast, Milsom went ashore and made arrangements for the immediate coaling of the yacht; and while he was absent, Jack and Macintyre, the chief engineer, got out the diving dresses and thoroughly overhauled them, charged the air cylinders with densely-compressed air, and collected such tools as they expected to require for their job.
As the sun grew brighter the scene increased in attractiveness, and the greater part of the boys were charmed by it, making many exclamations of delight, as they turned from one object to another. "It's a fine place wherever it is," said Jack. "I suppose they will locate it to-morrow, and perhaps some one will come out to the yacht, and tell us where we are."
"I am obliged to say that your presence here is most unwelcome. Moreover, I am aware that your previous actions are open to suspicion, to express it mildly. You threw yourself off the tug; and as this as not a pleasure yacht, but the vessel of a high official speeding on a most important business matter, I said to the captain, 'Let him swim!
"But you must not think that I am blaming you for it," the judge continued hastily, as he saw the distressed look on Mr. Evans' face. "Besides," he added, "the service you rendered me by taking my children and myself off the yacht the other day makes me many times your debtor. Let us say no more about the other matter."
"Why, the man from Greenock says you could go to America in the Umpire; and if you could go to America, there will not be much risk in the calmer seas of the South. And you know, Keith, auntie and I don't want you to trouble about writing letters to us; for you will have enough trouble in looking after the yacht; but you will send us a telegram from the various places you put into."
I pitched into one fellow and knocked him over, and was about to treat the other in the same way, when the skipper with his big fist hit me a blow on the head which brought me to the deck. "When I came to my senses it was broad daylight, and I knew that long before that time, if the yacht had gone down, you must all of you have lost your lives.
"Don't worry, dear Daddy, I'll have plenty of rest at sea," she told me. So we had our breakfast, very pleasantly, and I was thanking my stars that all our troubles would be over in no time, little thinking that they were just beginning. So I rose, and took my stout cane, very proud of showing the population how nicely I could walk, and went out on the porch, ready to go on board the yacht.
They found the yacht clean "as a whistle," and each particular bit of brasswork polished like a mirror. By Saturday evening all was ready for the trip. On Sunday morning the Rover boys went to church with the Stanhopes and the Lanings, and rested in the afternoon. They were just about to go to supper, when a note came for Dick. It was from Bob Sutter, and ran as follows:
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