“Punch o’ the head, I suppose. Well, hooroar! and I’m glad we’ve got rid of him at last.”

“I don’t know,” I said. “I should have liked to shake hands first.”

“Come, lads, what a while you’ve been,” said Gunson, coming up out of the cabin. “I told that boy to say you were to make haste.”

“What boy?” I said.

“The one I sent. Didn’t he tell you?”

I shook my head.

“Went to the wrong place, perhaps. Boxes are all right below yonder.”

“But how are you going to get ashore?” I said, wonderingly.

“Same as you do.”

“But—”