“Well, dearie?”
“Do you know what we’ve done?”
“We’ve done so much that I hardly know what you refer to.”
“We have in our excitement forgotten all about poor Johnnie Smart!”
“Dear! dear!” said Antonio; and a search-party was instantly organised.
They found him at last under a banana tree, and at first they believed him dead.
He was still tied fast to the bamboo, but was only sleeping the sleep of exhaustion.
They undid the cords from his cut and swollen limbs, and some of the men wrapped their jackets round him, and quickly bore him to the beach.
It was not until some time after he had been taken on board, and placed in a warm bunk, that Johnnie recovered consciousness.
He sat partially up, supported by Antonio himself. Evidently he was only half awake.