“Yes, suppose we took her and rowed down the coast.”
“There aren’t no oars in her.”
“There are oars. I hid them amongst the bushes and I can find them again.”
Raft considered the proposition for a moment, then he shook his head and tapped the dottle out of his pipe.
“Not with them winds that get you here,” said he, “they let out when you’re least expecting it and we’d be on to the rocks and done for. I’m not saying if we had a boat crew we mightn’t try, but we’re under-handed. No, we’ll have to hoof it if we go.”
“Hoof it—what is that?” asked she.
“Walk it,” replied Raft, “and I’m thinking it’s beyond you, you aren’t fit for travelling rough, like me.”
“Aren’t I?—I suppose I don’t look strong, but I am, of course I’m not as strong as you, but I can keep on once I begin, and I have been through a good deal ever since that night we were wrecked, I don’t think any journey we could make would be worse than that. And I was not prepared for all that as I am now for anything that may happen. Think of it, we had all been sitting at dinner, it was only a little while after dinner and I had my evening frock on.”
“Your evening which?”
“Dress. They were all rich people on board the yacht and they put on different clothes always for dinner. It seems stupid—well, I was down below and I suddenly felt that I must get on deck, so I put on these clothes and my oilskin and sou’wester, then, as I was coming upstairs the collision happened. I got on deck and it was quite dark until the electric light was put on, then I saw the stern of your ship with the name on it.”