Now it was possible for Sidney to see the apparently lifeless form of Mr. Peters in the bottom of the dory; but before he had time for more than a passing glance, Captain Eph said softly:
"Now go ahead of us, Sonny, an' hold the lantern behind you so we can see our way over the rocks. Walk slowly, son, for we don't dare to hurry."
Then Captain Eph and Uncle Zenas lifted with womanly tenderness the limp form, and the little procession crept over the ledge, giving due heed to their steps lest the unconscious man should receive yet further injury.
It was difficult to carry him up the ladder, and from the kitchen to his own room; but the task was performed after an expenditure of much time, and when he was lying on his own bed Uncle Zenas said, in a whisper:
"We'd better give him somethin' hot first, Ephraim. If you'll heat the coffee, I'll get his clothes off."
Sidney ran ahead of the keeper, rejoicing because he had made ready for the home-coming even when it seemed impossible they could get there, and while Captain Eph was pouring out the coffee, he asked:
"What has happened to him, sir?"
"That's what we don't jest know, Sonny. We overtook the raft ten miles or more from here, an' poor little Sammy was stretched out at full length on it as if he was dead, with the waves washin' clean over him every now an' then. It didn't take us long to find that there was some little life left in his body, an' you can make up your mind that we jumped it to the dory after takin' him aboard, for the only hope of fetchin' him around was to get back here. Uncle Zenas an' I were feelin' mighty glum, as you can well guess; but there was a big lot of gladness come inter our hearts when we saw the light streamin' out from Carys' Ledge, an' knew that the little shaver we'd left behind was bucklin' right down to duty."
Having said this, Captain Eph went hurriedly up the stairs with the smoking-hot coffee, and Sidney said to himself as he put on the table such food as had been cooked for dinner:
"I'm afraid Captain Eph wouldn't have said quite what he did, if he'd known how lonesome and discouraged I got because of being alone here on the reef."