“That means you would like to stay a little longer?”
“Yes, father,” cried the lad excitedly. “It would be dreadfully disappointing to go away and not climb right to the crater now I have been so near, and know the way.”
An hour later Jack was on deck watching the stars, and listening to the deep, heavy boom of the surf on the reef, thinking of how wonderful the contrast was, and mentally going over the horrors of the past night, when he heard a familiar air being whistled forward, one he had often heard coming from the pantry at home, and he walked ahead, to find Ned leaning over the side.
“Ah, Mr Jack! here you are then. I say, I’m not going to have any more of this nonsense. Doctor’s all very well, but it’s a strange thing if a man don’t know best how he is.”
“Why, what’s the matter?”
“Doctor Instow’s the matter, sir; and after all he ain’t my master. If the guv’nor says I ain’t to do a thing, or you, my young guv’nor, says it, why that’s enough; but Doctor Instow don’t pay me my wages.”
“What has he been saying to you?”
“Put his foot down, and wouldn’t let me wait dinner, sir. But I mean to go on as usual to-morrow morning.”
“Oh, very well; go on, then. But what do you think of our starting for home to-morrow morning, Ned?”
“What, sir? Start for home—to-morrow morning?”