“Golly, massa, you don’t mean dat, suah!”
“Guess I dew,” said the American deliberately.
“Tank you, massa; den you ken take down de bill, I ain’t no longer to let—I’m on, yah, yah!” shouted Snowball, giving way to the most obstreperous merriment, in order to testify his satisfaction at Mr Lathrope’s engaging him in his service, the darkey having always had a hankering after the American from his thorough appreciation of his cookery.
Mrs Major Negus was true to the last.
“What an extremely fishy smell!” she exclaimed as she went on board the whaler which had so opportunely come to rescue them from the solitude of Desolation Island. “I’m sure I wish Captain Dinks had secured a passage for us in a more respectable ship after choosing to cast away his own!”
But little more remains to be added.
The whaling schooner reached Table Bay in safety, without encountering any storms similar to that which had led to the loss of the Nancy Bell, and all the rescued castaways were shortly afterwards landed at Cape Town. Here, Captain Dinks, who had recovered much from his wound since he was taken off the island, secured a passage home to England for himself and officers and such of the passengers of the lost ship as desired to go back thither, sending on to New Zealand, at the owners’ expense, those who preferred proceeding to their original destination.
Amongst these latter was Mrs Major Negus and her son, “the Major” being extremely anxious to join her husband at Waikatoo as soon as possible. Mr Meldrum and his family also went on; the ex-commander in the Royal Navy having sold out the little property he had at home and capitalised his pension with the object of settling in New Zealand, had now no desire to return to England, or the means to live there if he had such a wish.
Frank did not forget his engagement with Kate, however.
Although he was obliged to accompany Captain Dinks back to England, it was not long after his arrival in London before he passed the Trinity House Board, obtaining a certificate licensing him to act as chief mate, in which capacity he went out to New Zealand on his very next voyage.