“What shall I do now, Mr. Osborn?” asked Collins. “I’ll do whatever you tell me to do.”
Ralph looked up into his face and said, “Collins, you will do what you think you ought to do; I’m not going to give you any order or suggestion, except to tell you I’m getting hungry.”
Collins pushed the boat into the water with alacrity, and commenced to scull it around the point of land. The tide had changed and was now with the catamaran; and at half-past seven the boat was alongside the Puritan.
CHAPTER XV
Ralph Breakfasts with His Captain
“You did good work in bringing him back, Mr. Osborn,” was the greeting Ralph received from Captain Waddell, as he stepped aboard the Puritan.
“He brought me back, captain; I hope he’ll receive credit for that.”
“Make your report, sir,” ordered the captain crisply.
“I had the forecastle anchor watch from three to four o’clock this morning, sir. Some time after seven bells were struck I noticed a man creeping on the deck from the forward hatch; I rushed over to stop him and he jumped into the catamaran. I bent over the railing and tried to grab him but went head first over the rail into the catamaran. I didn’t know anything for a few minutes, and after I came to Collins bathed my head and then sculled away to the shore. We talked it over for a while and then Collins decided to come back. He felt terribly worried first about his sick wife and then about what he’d just done. Oh, captain, he’s a good man; he’s full of good feelings and good intentions. He was carried away by his troubles. He did the best he could to undo his wrong act; I hope, I hope, sir, it won’t go too hard for him.”
Ralph’s eyes were full of sympathy and appeal. Captain Waddell regarded him keenly. “How did you come by that bruise on your head, Mr. Osborn?”