“But the storm—the typhoon?”
“Allee blow way, allee gone,” cried Ching, smiling; “velly good job. You feel dly?”
I did not answer then, for I felt as if I could not be awake. I had been lying in the lee of a huge mass of rock, amid stones and piled-up sand, upon which the sun beat warmly; the sky overhead was of a glorious blue; and there was nothing to suggest the horrors of the past night, but the heavy boom and splash of the billows which broke at intervals somewhere behind the rock.
At last I jumped up, full of remorse at my want of thought.
“Mr Brooke—the others?” I cried.
“We were talking about ’em, sir, ’fore you woke up,” said Jecks sadly; and I now saw that he had received a blow on the head, while he spoke slowly, and looked strange.
“And what—”
“I’m afraid they’re—”
“Allee dlowned; velly much ’flaid.”