“Ashore! What for?”
“To—to go on to the house. I would rather walk.”
Kenneth laughed, and then checked himself.
“It’s ten miles’ sail from here home, and it would be twenty round by the mountain-road. We always go by boat.”
“By boat? In this boat?” faltered the visitor.
“Yes. She skims along like a bird.”
“Then—I couldn’t—walk?”
“Walk? No. We’ll soon run you home. Sorry it was so rough. But there’s a lovely wind now. Come aft here, and we’ll hoist the sail. That’s right, Scood. Now there’s room to move.”
“Could—could you call back the steamer?” said the stranger hoarsely.
“Call her back? No; she’s a mile away nearly. Look!”