"Mr. Malcolm is in charge of the jolly-boat," Gray was saying. "Miss
Baring and Mr. and Mrs. Somerville are with him. Miss Baring's maid is
dead. Senor Jerrera is in my boat, Number 2. We have been on White
Horse Island all this time, but we have seen nothing of the other
life-boat."
That meant that two boats out of those which quitted the ship had
arrived thus opportunely. Senor Jerrera was the Spanish mining
engineer who had been hustled into one of the craft manned by the
mutineers. And Isobel was actually sitting down there in the darkness
a few feet away. How wonderful it all was! Elsie thought her heart
would never cease its labored throbbing. Even yet her breath came in
little gasps. How could the captain and Gray talk so coolly, as if
some of the passengers and crew were returning on board the ship after
an evening ashore? It was the bedizened savages who now assumed
reality: the simple orders which dealt with the clearing of the falls
and the lowering of a ladder became wildly fantastic.
And Christobal was saying:
"Well, Miss Maxwell, you and I can look forward to a busy night.
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