“Oh, don’t leave me behind! Don’t sail without me and leave me on this derelict!” begged Mr. Skeel.
“It would serve you right if we did,” declared Joe.
“And I don’t much fancy voyaging in a small boat with a man like him,” came from Abe.
“But we can hardly leave him behind,” said Tom in a low voice.
“No, I s’pose not,” agreed Abe. “Well, we’ll decide in the morning. Now, Joe, you and I’ll divide the rest of the night into two watches.”
“Let me take my share!” begged Tom. “I’m not a bit sleepy. In fact I don’t believe I can go to sleep again.”
“Well, lie down and rest then,” proposed Joe. “Abe and I will stand watch and watch. It will soon be daylight. Besides, we can’t take any chances with a desperate man like him. We’ve got to be on our guard.”
“That’s what,” assented Abe. “You go lie down, Tom.”
Which our hero did, and, in spite of the tumult of thoughts that crowded in his brain he managed to fall asleep beside Jackie.
The morning broke fair, and with a gentle wind.