The occupants of the boats might have saved his life, but he would let
them know that he was still chief officer for all that.
At last he stooped and gave his hand to some one who emerged from the
darkness beneath.
"Glad to see you again, Miss Baring," he said gruffly. "And you, Mrs.
Somerville. And you, sir," to the missionary. "We thought you'd gone
under, an' good folks are scarce enough as it is."
It was a wan and broken-spirited Isobel whom Elsie led to her cabin,
but notwithstanding her wretched state, her eyes quickly took in the
orderly condition of the room.
"I left my clothes strewed all over the floor," she said, with a
nervousness which Elsie attributed to the hardships she had undergone.
"Why did you trouble to pack them away?"
Then Elsie told her of her hunt for the poudriere, and was so obviously
unconcerned about any incident other than the adventures they had both
experienced since they parted, that Isobel questioned her no further.
A bath and a change of clothing worked marvels. Though thin and weak
for want of proper food, neither Isobel nor Mrs. Somerville had
suffered in health from the exposure and short fare involved by life on
the island.
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