"You were drowned," declared Frank. "I saw you go down."
"So you did," replied Lord Hastings, laughing a little. "But I came up again. I came up near a piece of floating wreckage, to which I clung for more than twenty-four hours before I was finally picked up by a British torpedo boat."
There were tears in the eyes of both boys as they clung to their old commander.
"But what happened to you?" Lord Hastings continued. "I inquired everywhere, and could find no trace of you. I was certain that you had gone down, and I was never so surprised and overjoyed in my life as when you were lifted aboard the Sylph a few hours ago."
"The Sylph!" ejaculated Jack.
"Yes," replied His Lordship, smiling a little, "I have christened this vessel the Sylph II, but I always speak of her as the Sylph. But come, tell me about yourselves."
Briefly Frank related the experiences they had gone through since the Sylph had been sunk.
"Nothing you do can surprise me any more," declared Lord Hastings, when Frank had finished his narrative. "But now, as to the future, do you wish to remain aboard the Marie Theresa, or would you like to come with me?"
"Would we!" ejaculated Jack fervently.
"I should say we would!" declared Frank decisively.