“The mate! That’s the wrorst of it. He got his breakfast only a half an hour go. He slept in my barn.”
“And where has the vessel gone?” cried Mr. Long, in great distress.
“I can’t tell. I rowed out for a mile, but didn’t see any signs of her.”
“We must go after them at once,” said Mr. Long. “Can’t we get a sail-boat somewhere?”
“I suppose I can rig up a sail in my boat; but she’s only a punt, and I don’t think wo could manage her at all among the currents out there.”
“I wonder if they know anything about sailing?”
“No doubt they do,” said Captain Pratt.
“O, they’re all right,” said Captain Corbet, confidently. “I said, when they went adrift before, that they’d turn up right side up—and up they turned. Besides, the weather’s fine, and there’s no danger in life.”
“Still we must do something,” said Mr. Long, anxiously. “Even if they do understand sailing, they can never get back here again.”
“It’s jest what I’ve been expectin’,” said Captain Corbet, after a profound silence, and with a tone of deep conviction.