THE PART OF AN ELDER BROTHER
"Come," said Paul, after the boat had been tied up where the waves could not reach them and things had begun to assume a more comfortable aspect; "Here's a fine little cabin and an oil stove on which to make a hot pot of coffee, besides assisting to dry us out. I insist on you staying to keep me company for a while. We are both cold and wet. Say you will, Darry!"
Darry did not need much urging. He was wet and chilled, and it did look cozy after Paul had started the stove going.
"Besides," continued Paul, misconstruing his silence; "I am under heavy obligations to you for coming to my assistance when you did. You saved my life and you are a regular life saver like Mr. Peake. There must be some way in which I can partly cancel that debt. You are allowed salvage by law when you save a vessel, Darry, did you know it? But for your coming my poor little Griffin must have gone to pieces, not to mention what would have become of her owner. Now, how can I settle for this indebtedness."
He was laughing as he spoke, but Darry considered the moment had come for him to put in a plea for his friends.
So he swallowed what seemed to be a lump in his throat, for after all it was no easy thing to ask such a favor from one who was hardly more than a stranger.
"Mr. Singleton, I was just wishing I could meet you somewhere soon," he began.
"Well, that is queer, since I was thinking about you too, and hoping you would not go back on me, for somehow, I seem to have set my mind on having you with me. And besides, there was another reason why I wanted to keep track of you, which I may tell you some day soon, Darry. But why were you wanting to see me?"
"To ask a great favor?"
"Not to let you off from your promise?"