"We are safe past," he said. "Where do—"
But she interrupted him vehemently.
"Get you below," she said; "this night I sail the ship."
Mitsos wondered but obeyed, and sat up awhile in the cabin; but the ship still holding her course, as he could tell from the rapid swishing of the water, about nine he went to bed. Later the sound of the anchor-chain woke him for a moment, and he waited awake, though laden with sleep, for a minute or two, in case he was wanted. Then there came the unmistakable splash of a boat lowered into the water and the sound of oars. At that he got up, threw on a coat, and went on deck.
It was starlight and very cold; several sailors were standing about, and he asked one of them, who took the duty of first mate, where they were. Dimitri pointed to a faint glow along the shore.
"That is—that was Elatina," he said.
"And what was Elatina?"
"A village the Turks have burned. The Capsina is being rowed there," he said, "and as she got into the boat I saw she was crying."
"Crying? The Capsina?"
"Yes; it was the village her mother comes from," said Dimitri, who was a Hydriot.