CHAPTER VI
THE ISLAND
Robert came out of his benumbed state. It had all seemed a fantasticdream, but he had only to look around him to know that it was reality.Three or four battle lanterns were shining and they threw a ghostlylight over the deck of the schooner, which was littered with spars andsails, and the bodies of men who had fallen before the fire of thesloop. Streams of blood flowed everywhere. He sickened and shudderedagain and again.
The captain, a savage figure, stained with blood, showed ruthlessenergy. Driving the men who remained unwounded, he compelled them to cutaway the wreckage and to throw the dead overboard. Garrulous, possessedby some demon, he boasted to them of many prizes they would yet take,and he pointed to the black flag which still floated overhead, unharmedthrough all the battle. He boasted of it as a good omen and succeeded ininfusing into them some of his own spirit.
Robert was still unnoticed and at first he wandered about his straitterritory. Then he lent a helping hand with the wreckage. His own lifewas at stake as well as theirs, and whether they wished it or not hecould not continue to stand by an idler. Circumstance and the sea forcedhim into comradeship with men of evil, and as long as it lasted he mustmake the best of it. So he fell to with such a will that it drew theattention of the captain.
"Good boy, Peter!" he cried. "You'll be one of us yet in spite ofyourself! Our good fortune is yours, too! You as well as we have escapeda merry hanging! I'll warrant you that the feel of the rope around theneck is not pleasant, and it's well to keep one's head out of the noose,eh, Peter?"
Robert did not answer, but tugged at a rope that two other men weretrying to reeve. He knew now that while they had escaped the sloop ofwar their danger was yet great and imminent. The wind was still rising,and now it was a howling gale. The schooner had been raked heavily. Mostof her rigging was gone, huge holes had been smashed in her hull, halfof her crew had been killed and half of the rest were wounded, therewere not enough men to work her even were she whole and the weather thebest. As the crest of every wave passed she wallowed in the trough ofthe sea, and shipped water steadily. The exultant look passed from thecaptain's eyes.
"I'm afraid you're a lad of ill omen, Peter," he said to Robert. "I hadyou on board another ship once and she went to pieces. It looks now asif my good schooner were headed the same way."
A dark sailor standing near heard him, and nodded in approval, butRobert said:
"Blame the sloop of war, not me. You would lay her aboard, and see whathas happened!"
The captain frowned and turned away. For a long time he paid no furtherattention to Robert, all his skill and energy concentrated upon theeffort to save his ship. But it became evident even to Robert'sinexperienced eye that the schooner was stricken mortally. The guns ofthe sloop had not raked and slashed her in vain. A pirate she had been,but a pirate she would be no more. She rolled more heavily all the time,and Robert noticed that she was deeper in the water. Beyond a doubt shewas leaking fast.
The captain conferred with the second mate, a tall, thin man whom hecalled Stubbs. Then the two, standing together near the mast, watchedthe ship for a while and Robert, a little distance away, watched them.He was now keenly alive to his own fate. Young and vital, he did notwant to die. He had never known a time when he was more anxious to live.He was not going to be sold into slavery on a West India plantation.Fortune had saved him from that fate, and it might save him from newperils. In a storm on a sinking vessel he was nevertheless instinct withhope. Somewhere beyond the clouds Tayoga's Tododaho on his great starwas watching him. The captain spoke to him presently.
"Peter," he said, "I think it will be necessary for us to leave the shipsoon. That cursed sloop has done for the staunchest schooner that eversailed these seas. I left you on board a sinking vessel the other time,but as it seemed to bring you good luck then, I won't do it now.Besides, I'm tempted to keep you with me. You bore yourself bravelyduring the battle. I will say that for you."
"Thanks for taking me, and for the compliment, too," said Robert. "I'veno mind to be left here alone in the middle of the ocean on a sinkingship."
"'Tis no pleasant prospect, nor have we an easy path before us in theboats, either. On the whole, the chances are against us. There's landnot far away to starboard, but whether we'll make it in so rough a seais another matter. Are you handy with an oar?"
"Fairly so. I've had experience on lakes and rivers, but none on thesea."
"'Twill serve. We'll launch three boats. Hooker, the boatswain, takesone, Stubbs has the other, and I command the last. You go with me."
"It would have been my choice."
"I'm flattered, Peter. I may get a chance yet to sell you to one of theplantations."
"I think not, Captain. The stars in their courses have said 'no.'"
"Come! Come! Don't be Biblical here."
"The truth is the truth anywhere. But I'm glad enough to go with you."
One of the boats was launched with great difficulty, and the boatswain,Hooker, and six men, two of whom were wounded, were lowered into it. Itcapsized almost immediately, and all on board were lost. Those destinedfor the other two boats hung back a while, but it became increasinglynecessary for them to make the trial, no matter what the risk. Theschooner rolled and pitched terribly, and a sailor, sent to see,reported that the water was rising in her steadily.
The captain showed himself a true seaman and leader. He had been woundedin the shoulder, but the hurt had been bound up hastily and he saw toeverything. Each of the boats contained kegs of water, arms, ammunitionand food. A second was launched and Stubbs and his crew were loweredinto it. A great wave caught it and carried it upon its crest, andRobert, watching, expected to see it turn over like the first, but themate and the crew managed to restore the balance, and they disappearedin the darkness, still afloat.
"There, lads," exclaimed the captain, "you see it can be done. Now we'llgo too, and the day will soon come when we'll have a new ship, and then,ho! once more for the rover's free and gorgeous life!"
The unwounded men raised a faint cheer. The long boat was launched withinfinite care, and Robert lent a hand. The pressure of circumstancesmade his feeling of comradeship with these men return. For the time atleast his life was bound up with theirs. Two wounded sailors werelowered first into the boat.
"Now, Peter, you go," said the captain. "As I told you, I may have achance yet to sell you to a plantation, and I must preserve myproperty."
Robert slid down the rope. The captain and the others followed, and theycast loose. They were eight in the boat, three of whom were wounded,though not badly. The lad looked back at the schooner. He saw a dimhulk, with the black flag still floating over it, and then she passedfrom sight in the darkness and driving storm.
He took up an oar, resolved to do his best in the common struggle forlife, and with the others fought the sea for a long time. The captainset their course south by west, apparently for some island of which heknew, and meanwhile the men strove not so much to make distance as tokeep the boat right side up. Often Robert thought they were gone. Theyrode dizzily upon high waves, and they sloped at appalling angles, butalways they righted and kept afloat. The water sprayed them continuouslyand the wind made it sting like small shot, but that was a trifle to menin their situation who were straining merely to keep the breath in theirbodies.
After a while--Robert had no idea how long the time had been--theviolence of the wind seemed to abate somewhat, and their immense perilof sinking decreased. Robert sought an easier position at the oar, andtried to see something reassuring, but it was still almost as dark aspitch, and there was only the black and terrible sea around them. Butthe captain seemed cheerful.
"We'll make it, lads, before morning," he said. "The storm is sinking,as you can see, and the island is there waiting for us."
In another hour the sea became so much calmer that there was no longerany danger of the boat overturning. Half of the men who had been rowingrested an hour, and then the other half took th
eir turn. Robert was inthe second relay, and when he put down his oar he realized for the firsttime that his hands were sore and his bones aching.
"You've done well, Peter," said the captain. "You've become one of us,whether or no, and we'll make you an honored inhabitant of our islandwhen we come to it."
Robert said nothing, but lay back, drawing long breaths of relief. Thedanger of death by drowning had passed for the moment and he had a senseof triumph over nature. Despite his weariness and soreness, he was asanxious as ever to live, and he began to wonder about this island ofwhich the captain spoke. It must be tropical, and hence in hisimagination beautiful, but by whom was it peopled? He did not doubt thatthey would reach it, and that he, as usual, would escape all perils.
Always invincible, his greatest characteristic was flaming up withinhim. He seemed to have won, in a way, the regard of the captain, and hedid not fear the men. They would be castaways together, and on the landopportunities to escape would come. On the whole he preferred thehazards of the land to those of the sea. He knew better how to deal withthem. He was more at home in the wilderness than on salt water. Yet abrave heart was alike in either place.
"We'd better take it very easy, lads," said the captain. "Not muchrowing now, and save our strength for the later hours of the night."
"Why?" asked Robert.
"Because the storm, although it has gone, is still hanging about in thesouth and may conclude to come back, assailing us again. A shift in thewind is going on now, and if it hit us before we reached the island,finding us worn out, we might go down before it."
It was a good enough reason and bye and bye only two men kept at theoars, the rest lying on the bottom of the boat or falling asleep intheir seats. The captain kept a sharp watch for the other boat, whichhad gone away in the dark, but beheld no sign of it, although the moonand stars were now out, and they could see a long distance.
"Stubbs knows where the island is," said the captain, "and if they'velived they'll make for it. We can't turn aside to search all over thesea for 'em."
Robert after a while fell asleep also in his seat, and despite hisextraordinary situation slept soundly, though it was rather anunconsciousness that came from extreme exhaustion, both bodily andmental. He awoke some time later to find that the darkness had come backand that the wind was rising again.
"You can take a hand at the oar once more, Peter," said the captain. "Ilet you sleep because I knew that it would refresh you and we need thestrength of everybody. The storm, as I predicted, is returning, not asstrong as it was at first, perhaps, but strong enough."
He wakened the other men who were sleeping, and all took to the oars.The waves were running high, and the boat began to ship water. Severalof the men, under instructions from the captain, dropped their oars andbailed it out with their caps or one or two small tin vessels that theyhad stored aboard.
"Luckily the wind is blowing in the right direction," said the captain."It comes out of the northeast, and that carries us toward the island.Now, lads, all we have to do is to keep the boat steady, and not let itship too much water. The wind itself will carry us on our way."
But the wind rose yet more, and it required intense labor and vigilanceto fight the waves that threatened every moment to sink their craft.Robert pulled on the oar until his arms ached. Everybody toiled exceptthe captain, who directed, and Robert saw that he had all the qualitiesto make him a leader of slavers or pirates. In extreme danger he was theboldest and most confident of them all, and he stood by his men. Theycould see that he would not desert them, that their fortune was hisfortune. He was wounded, Robert did not yet know how badly, but he neveryielded to his hurt. He was a figure of strength in the boat, and themen drew courage from him to struggle for life against the overmasteringsea. Somehow, for the time at least, Robert looked upon him as his ownleader, obeying his commands, willingly and without question.
He was drenched anew with the salt water, but as they were in warm seashe never thought of it. Now and then he rested from his oar and helpedbail the water from the boat.
A pale dawn showed at last through the driving clouds, but it was notencouraging. The sea was running higher than ever, and there was no signof land. One of the men, much worse wounded than they had thought, laydown in the bottom of the boat and died. They tossed his bodyunceremoniously overboard. Robert knew that it was necessary, but ithorrified him just the same. Another man, made light of head by dangersand excessive hardships, insisted that there was no island, that eitherthey would be drowned or would drift on in the boat until they died ofthirst and starvation. The captain drew a pistol and looking himstraight in the eye said:
"Another word of that kind from you, Waters, and you'll eat lead. Youknow me well enough to know that I keep my word."
The man cowered away and Robert saw that it was no vain threat. Watersdevoted his whole attention to an oar, and did not speak again.
"We'll strike the island in two or three hours," the captain said withgreat confidence.
The dawn continued to struggle with the stormy sky, but its progress wasnot promising. It was only a sullen gray dome over a gray and ghastlysea, depressing to the last degree to men worn as they were. But inabout two hours the captain, using glasses that he had taken from hiscoat, raised the cry:
"Land ho!"
He kept the glasses to his eyes a full two minutes, and when he tookthem down he repeated with certainty:
"Land ho! I can see it distinctly there under the horizon in the west,and it's the island we've been making for. Now, lads, keep her steadyand we'll be there in an hour."
All the men were vitalized into new life, but the storm rose at the sametime, and spray and foam dashed over them. All but two or three werecompelled to work hard, keeping the water out of the boat, while theothers steadied her with the oars. Robert saw the captain's face growanxious, and he began to wonder if they would reach the island in time.He wondered also how they would land in case they reached it, as he knewfrom his reading and travelers' tales that most of the little islands inthese warm seas were surrounded by reefs.
The wind drove them on and the island rose out of the ocean, a dark, lowline, just a blur, but surely land, and the drooping men plucked uptheir spirits.
"We'll make it, lads! Don't be down-hearted!" cried the captain. "Keepthe boat above water a half hour longer, and we'll tread the soil ofmother earth again! Well done, Peter! You handle a good oar! You're theyoungest in the boat, but you've set an example for the others! There'sgood stuff in you, Peter."
Robert, to his own surprise, found his spirit responding to this man'spraise, slaver and pirate though he was, and he threw more strength intohis swing. Soon they drew near to the island, and he heard such aroaring of the surf that he shuddered. He saw an unbroken line of whiteand he knew that behind it lay the cruel teeth of the rocks, ready tocrunch any boat that came. Every one looked anxiously at the captain.
"There's a rift in the rocks to the right," he said, "and when we passthrough it we'll find calm water inside. Now, lads, all of you to theoars and take heed that you do as I say on the instant or we'll be onthe reef!"
They swung to the right, and so powerful were wind and wave that itseemed to Robert they fairly flew toward the island. The roaring of thesurf grew and the long white line rose before them like a wall. He sawno opening, but the captain showed no signs of fear and gave quick,sharp commands. The boat drove with increased speed toward the island,rising on the crests of great waves, then sinking with sickening speedinto the trough of the sea, to rise dizzily on another wave. Robert sawthe rocks, black, sharp and cruel, reaching out their long, savageteeth, and the roar of wind and surf together was now so loud that hecould no longer hear the captain's commands. He was conscious that theboat was nearly full of water, and when he was not blinded by the flyingsurf he saw looks of despair on the faces of the men.
An opening in the line of reefs disclosed itself, and the boat shottoward it. He heard the captain shout, but did not understand what he
said, then they were wrenched violently to the left by a powerfulcurrent. He saw the black rocks frowning directly over him, and felt theboat scrape against them. The whole side of it was cut away, and theywere all hurled into the sea.
Robert was not conscious of what he did. He acted wholly from impulseand the instinctive love of life that is in every one. He felt the waterpour over him, and fill eye, ear and nostril, but he was not hurledagainst rock. He struck out violently, but was borne swiftly away, notknowing in which direction he was taken.
He became conscious presently that the force driving him on was not sogreat and he cleared the water from his eyes enough to see that he hadbeen carried through the opening and toward a sandy beach. His mindbecame active and strong in an instant. Chance had brought him life, ifhe only had the presence of mind to take it. He struck out for the landwith all his vigor, hoping to reach it before he could be carried backby a returning wave.
The wave caught him, but it was not as powerful as he had feared, and,when he had yielded a little, he was able to go forward again. Then hesaw a head bobbing upon the crest of the next retreating wave and beingcarried out to sea. It was the captain, and reaching out a strong armRobert seized him. The shock caused him to thrust down his feet, and tohis surprise he touched bottom. Grasping the captain with both hands hedragged him with all his might and ran inland.
It was partly an instinctive impulse to save and partly genuine feelingthat caused him to seize the slaver when he was being swept helpless outto sea. The man, even though in a malicious, jeering way, had done himsome kindnesses on the schooner and in the boat, and he could not seehim drown before his eyes. So he settled his grasp upon his collar, heldhis head above the water and strove with all his might to get beyond thereach of the cruel sea. Had he been alone he could have reached the landwith ease, but the slaver pulled upon him almost a dead weight.
Another returning wave caught him and made him stagger, but he settledhis feet firmly in the sand, held on to the unconscious man, and when ithad passed made a great effort to get beyond the reach of any other. Hewas forced half to lift, half to drag the slaver's body, but he caughtthe crest of the next incoming wave, one of unusual height and strength,and the two were carried far up the beach. When it died in foam andspray he lifted the man wholly and ran until he fell exhausted on thesand. When another wave roared inland it did not reach him, and noothers came near. As if knowing they were baffled, they gave up auseless pursuit.
Robert lay a full half hour, supine, completely relaxed, only halfconscious. Yet he was devoutly thankful. The precious gift of life hadbeen saved, the life that was so young, so strong and so buoyant in him.The sea, immense, immeasurable and savage might leap for him, but itcould no longer reach him. He was aware of that emotion, and he wasthankful too that an Infinite Hand had been stretched out to save him inhis moment of direst peril.
He came out of his cataleptic state, which was both a mental andphysical effect, and stood up. The air was still dim with heavy cloudsand the wind continuously whistled its anger. He noticed for the firsttime that it was raining, but it was a trifle to him, as he had alreadybeen thoroughly soaked by the sea.
The sea itself was as wild as ever. Wave after wave roared upon the landto break there, and then rush back in masses of foam. As far as Robertcould see the surface of the water, lashed by the storm, was wild anddesolate to the last degree. It was almost as if he had been cast awayon another planet. A feeling of irrepressible, awful lonelinessoverpowered him.
"Well, Peter, we're here."
It was a feeble voice, but it was a human one, the voice of one of hisown kind, and, in that dreary wilderness of the ocean, it gave welcomerelief as it struck upon his ear. He looked down. The slaver, returnedto consciousness, had drawn himself into a sitting position and waslooking out at the gray waters.
"I've a notion, Peter," he said, "that you've saved my life. The last Iremember was being engulfed in a very large and very angry ocean. It waskind of you, Peter, after I kidnapped you away from your friends,meaning to sell you into slavery on a West India plantation."
"I couldn't let you drown before my eyes."
"Most men in your place would have let me go, and even would have helpedme along."
"Perhaps I felt the need of company. 'Twould have been terrible to bealone here."
"There may be something in that. But at any rate, you saved me. I'mthinking that you and I are all that's left. I was a fool, Peter, everto have mixed in your business. I can see it now. When I carried youaway from New York I lost my ship. I kidnap you away again from Albany,and I lose my ship and all my crew. I would have lost my own life, too,if it had not been for you. It was never intended by the fates that Ishould have been successful in my attempts on you. The first time shouldhave been enough. That was a warning. Well, I've paid the price of myfolly. All fools do."
He tried to stand up, but fresh blood came from his shoulder and hequickly sat down again. It was obvious that he was very weak.
"I'll do the best I can for us both," said Robert, "but I don't know thenature of this land upon which we're cast. I suppose it's an island, ofcourse. I can see trees inland, but that's all I can discover atpresent."
"I know a deal more," said the slaver. "That's why I had the boatsteered for this point, hoping to make the little bay into which theopening through the reefs leads. It's an island, as you say, seven oreight miles long, half as broad and covered thickly with trees andbrush. There's a hut about half a mile inland, and if you help me therewe'll both find shelter. I'll show the way. As trying too steadily to doyou evil brought me bad luck I'll now try to do you good. You can put itdown to logic, and not to any sudden piety in me."
Yet Robert in his heart did not ascribe it wholly to logic. He waswilling to believe in a kindly impulse or two in everybody, there was alittle good hidden somewhere deep down even in Tandakora, though itmight have to struggle uncommonly hard for expression. He promptly puthis arm under the man's and helped him to his feet.
"Give me the direction," he said, "and I'll see that we reach the hut."
"Bear toward the high hill ahead and to the right. And between you andme, Peter, I'm glad it's inland. I've had enough of the sea for a whileand I don't want to look at it. How is it behaving now?"
Robert, looking back, saw a great wave rushing upon the beach as if itthought it could overtake them, and it gave him an actual thrill ofdelight to know the effort would be in vain.
"It's as wild, as desolate and as angry as ever," he said, "and we'rewell away from it for the present."
"Then go on. I fear I shall have to lean upon you rather hard. A bit ofgrape shot from that cursed sloop has bitten pretty deep into myshoulder. I've been doubly a fool, Peter, in kidnapping you a secondtime after the first warning, and in allowing myself to be tolled upunder the broadside of that sloop. It's the last that hurts me most. Ibehaved like any youngster on his first cruise."
Robert said nothing, but did his best to support the wounded man, whowas now bearing upon him very heavily. His own strength was largelyfactitious, coming from the hope that they would soon find shelter and areal place in which to rest, but such as it was it was sufficient forthe time being.
He did not look back again. Like the slaver, he wanted to shut out thesea for the present. It was a raging, cruel element, and he felt betterwith it unseen. But he became conscious, instead, of the rain which wasdriving hard. He suddenly realized that he was cold, and he shivered soviolently that the slaver noticed it.
"Never mind, Peter," he said. "We're going to a palace, or at least'twill seem a palace by power of contrast. There you'll be snug andwarm."
"And you can bind up your wound again and get back your strength."
"Aye, we can bind it up again, but it's not so sure about my gettingback my strength. I tell you again, lad, that the grape bit deep. Ithurts me all the time to think I was lured under those guns by a sillyold fiddler and a couple of silly sailors dancing to his silly tune.You're a good lad, Peter, I
give you credit for it, and since, besidemyself, only one on board the schooner was saved, I'm glad it was youand not a member of the crew."
"We don't know that others were not saved. We haven't had time yet tosee."
"I know they weren't. It's only a miracle that we two came through thereefs. Miracles may happen, Peter, but they don't happen often. Nobodyelse will appear on the island. Keep steering for the hill. I'll be gladwhen we get there, because, between you and me, Peter, it will be justabout as far as I can go and I'll need a long, long rest."
He bore so heavily upon Robert now that their progress was very slow,and the lad himself began to grow weak. It was impossible for any one,no matter how hardy of body and soul, to endure long, after goingthrough what he had suffered. He too staggered.
"I'm leaning hard on you, Peter," said the slaver. "I know it, but Ican't help it. What a difference a whiff of grapeshot makes!"
Robert steadied himself, made a mighty effort, and they went on. Thewind shifted now and the rain drove directly in his face. It was cold tohim, but it seemed to whip a little increase of vigor and strength intohis blood, and he was able to go somewhat faster. As he pulled alongwith his burden he looked curiously at the region through which he wastraveling. The ground was rough, often with layers of coral, and he sawon all sides of him dense groves of bushes, among which he recognizedthe banana by the fruit. It gave him a thrill of relief. At all eventshere was food of a kind, and they would not starve to death. It was thefirst time he had thought of food. Hitherto he had been occupied whollywith the struggle for immediate life.
A belt of tall trees shut out the hill toward which he had beensteering, and he was uncertain. But the man gave him guidance.
"More to the right, Peter," he said. "I won't let you go astray, andit's full lucky for us both that I know this island."
A half hour of painful struggle and Robert saw the dark shape of a smallhouse in the lee of a hill.
"It's the hut, Peter," said the slaver, "and you've done well to bringus here. You're not only a good lad, but you're strong and brave, too.You needn't knock at the door. No one will answer. Push it open andenter. It really belongs to me."
Robert obeyed while the man steadied himself sufficiently to standalone. He thrust his hand against the door, which swung inward,revealing a dark interior. A musty odor entered his nostrils, but thehut, whatever its character, was dry. That was evident, and so it waswelcome. He went in, helping the wounded man along with him, andstanding there a moment or two everything became clear.
It was more than a hut. He was in a room of some size, containingarticles of furniture, obviously brought across the sea, and clothinghanging from the wall on hooks. A couch was beside one wall, and twodoors seemed to lead to larger chambers or to small closets. The captainstaggered across the room and lay down on the couch.
"Well, how do you like it, Peter?" he asked. "'Twill serve in a storm,will it not?"
"It will serve grandly," replied Robert. "How does it come to be here?"
"I had it built. The islands all the way from the Bahamas to SouthAmerica and the waters around them are the great hunting ground forpeople in my trade, and naturally we need places of refuge, secludedlittle harbors, so to speak, where we can commune with ourselves andrefresh our minds and bodies. Even rovers must have periods ofrelaxation, and you'll find a lot of such places scattered about theislands, or, rather, you won't find 'em because they're too well hidden.I had this built myself, but I never dreamed that I should come back toit in the way I have."
"It's a palace just now," said Robert, "yes, it's more than a palace,it's a home. I see clothing here on the wall, and, by your leave, I'llchange you and then myself into some of those dry garments."
"You're lord of the manor, Peter, by right of strength. I'm in nocondition to resist you, even had I the wish, which I haven't."
Assisted by the man himself, he removed the captain's garments and puthim in dry clothing, first looking at the wound in his shoulder, whichhis experience told him was very serious. The piece of grapeshot hadgone entirely through, but the loss of blood had been large, and therewas inflammation.
"I must bathe that with fresh water a little later and devise some kindof dressing," said Robert. "I've had much experience in the wildernesswith wounds."
"You're a good lad, Peter," said the slaver. "I've told you that before,but I repeat it now."
Robert then arrayed himself in dry garments. He was strangely andwonderfully attired in a shirt of fine linen with lace ruffles, a short,embroidered jacket of purple velvet, purple velvet knee-breeches, silkstockings and pumps, or low shoes, with large silver buckles. It wasvery gorgeous, and, just then, very comfortable.
"You look the dandy to the full, Peter," said the slaver. "The clotheshave hung here more than a year. They came from a young Spaniard who hadthe misfortune to resist too much when we took the ship that carriedhim. They've come to a good use again."
Robert shuddered, but in a moment or two he forgot the origin of his newraiment. He had become too much inured to deadly peril to be excessivelyfastidious. Besides, he was feeling far better. Warmth returned to hisbody and the beat of the rain outside the house increased the comfortwithin.
"I think, Peter," said the slaver, "that you'd better go to sleep.You've been through a lot, and you don't realize how near exhaustion youare."
Without giving a thought to the question of food, which must presentitself before long, Robert lay down on the floor and fell almost at onceinto a sound slumber.