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Most everything in life's just about as crazy as they'll allow outside a foolish house, and as for life itself, well, it's a darn nuisance anyway, but one you're mighty glad keeps busy your way." At that moment, the speaking tube from the bridge emitted a sharp whistle, and the skipper, with a broad smile on his weather-beaten face, went to answer it. The clatter of the winches ceased.
"Mr Mildmay," said my skipper, "I am extremely happy to see you, and still more so that you have been appointed to my ship; will you be seated?"
She's a reg'lar talkin' foghorn, if there was such a thing only a foghorn shuts down in clear weather and SHE don't shut down, day or night. Talks in her sleep, I shouldn't wonder. If I was you, Mrs. Barnes, I wouldn't bother with any help from 'round here. I'd hire a girl from Boston, or somewheres; then you could be skipper of your own ship."
"Get some supper," said Fraser, "quick." "Supper, sir?" said the boy with a surprised yawn. "And be quick about it," said the skipper, "and wash you face first and put a comb through your hair. Come, out you get." The small sleeper sighed disconsolately, and, first extending one slender leg, clambered out and began to dress, yawning pathetically as he did so.
"Have any letters come for me? Have people from New York arranged yet to take me away?" asked Flora, suddenly forgetting about the skipper and remembering her own career so terribly interrupted and so strangely retarded. "I shall be able to travel in a few days, I think. What have the newspapers said about my misfortunes?"
"Yes, you're very weak, for you've been very sick, lad," and Skipper Ed, choking back his emotion, added cheerily: "But there's better luck for you now, lad. Better luck." "May I have a drink?" Skipper Ed poured some water into a tin cup, and supporting Bobby's head, held the cup to his parched lips. "Father and mother and Jimmy where are they?"
But, the little ovation over, we all sat down; and as she at once began talking to the skipper about the gun mounted as a trophy in front of Government House, Calcutta, I had not an opportunity to verify my suspicion.
Later on, when their injuries had been attended to and the cravings of their hunger and thirst satisfied they had neither eaten nor drunk during the previous forty-two hours Captain Vernon sent for the skipper of the rescued crew, to learn from him an account of the mishap. His story, as related to me by him during the second dog-watch, was to the following effect:
I waited till I had seen some of the boats make a trip or two, and then choosing one that had a sober skipper, I made the venture. It was said that one drunken boatman allowed his boat to drift into some breakers and all were lost.
"It would have been useless if I had, my friend," said the skipper soothingly. "We couldn't move to come to your assistance if every soul on board had seen you and known your peril, sir; for our engines were broken-down and we were not able to get up steam again until late this afternoon, when we ran down to pick you up!"
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