"Well, how long do you expect he will be?"
"I can't say, sir. It is about a quarter of an hour since he landed, and he said he would be back in half an hour; but officers are generally longer than they expect."
"Well it won't take you above ten minutes to row off to the ship and back. I will take the blame if he comes down before that. I have been wounded, not badly, but it is very painful. I want to get it properly dressed."
"All right, sir, we will get you on board in no time."
"Give me your arm. I must get in carefully."
The men stretched to their oars, and in five minutes Nat was alongside the Orpheus. He had heard, as he expected, that Dr. Bemish had gone with the party that had been landed, but his assistant was on board. The first lieutenant was on deck. He saw by Nat's walk as he went up to report his return that something was the matter.
"Are you ill or wounded, Mr Glover?"
"I am wounded, sir. I had a rib broken by a pistol-ball, and I have had a long journey, which has inflamed it a good deal."
"Go down at once and have it seen to; you can tell me your story afterwards. Have the ladies who were with you got safely down also?"
"Yes, sir."