“I promise that, Judith. I had a good night’s rest on the wreck last night, and so I can very well afford to lose this night’s sleep,” replied Mr. Rosenthal.
Britomarte objected strongly to Justin’s proposed watching; but he succeeded in convincing her that he could watch without inconvenience. And so they all went to the grotto in the thicket.
Justin spread his greatcoat on the floor to make a bed for Britomarte, and then he bade her good-night, and went out and took up his stand as sentinel before her rude bower.
CHAPTER XV.
MAKING THE BEST OF IT.
With the earliest dawn of morning Justin withdrew from his post and went and gathered some loose, dry sticks, and piled them up before the hole of the grotto, and but a short distance from it. Then he took some matches that he had brought in his pocket, and kindled a fire to protect Britomarte and her attendant from the approach of any beast of prey; for it is well known that no wild animal will ever venture to come near a fire.
Then leaving his sleeping charge, he took up his stout walking staff and hurried away as fast as he could go in the direction of the causeway. His wish and intention was to go to the ship and procure some provisions for Britomarte’s breakfast, and to return with them to the grotto before she should awake and miss him from his post.
Knowing now the way so well, and being relieved from the trouble of looking after the little dog, that he had left sleeping at the feet of Britomarte, he made much faster progress over the distance between the island and the ship than he made on the preceding day.
He plunged straight ahead through the thicket, without the slightest regard to briers and brambles. He passed over the mountain with more haste than care; but finally he reached the landward end of the causeway with safety as well as with swiftness.
Then he set out to walk across the causeway to the ship. He hurried on without much respect to discretion, dropping himself down the steeps; with the aid of his walkingstaff, which he used as a leaping pole, flinging himself across the chasms; and running on all the level places until he reached the ship and jumped upon the leaning bows, which were down upon the level of the causeway.
He found the ship very much in the same condition in which he had left it, and in which it might remain for an indefinite length of time.