Alf's reply was characteristic.
"You'll take a deal of washing, old man, before you're fit for decent society again!"
The warmth of the sun soon restored some of the old energy to the chilled body, and after a time Bob recovered sufficiently to crawl to safety in the wake of his rescuer.
And when solid land was regained poor old Mackintosh was fairly crying with joy.
"Lads, lads! but God's been kind to us this day!" he was saying, while the tears ran down his manly, weather-beaten cheeks. Then he made all laugh by suddenly starting with a look of horror in his face as he exclaimed—
"Ma conscience! But the birds will be burnt to cinders by this time!"