"You are on board it."
"On board it?"
"Yes. Right now. The Huron is at your disposal. I feel that I was responsible for delaying you at a critical moment. All I can do to repay you for the annoyance and anxiety is to place myself and the Huron at your command. No, don't thank me. I have a selfish reason, too. Most of us have, I fancy, for our so-called good actions. I like to see rascals punished. That's one reason for my aiding you in your pursuit. I wish to thoroughly try out the Huron on a long cruise, that's another reason——"
"And number three?" demanded Tom, whose eyes were dancing with excitement and gratitude.
"Number three," quoth Obadiah heartily, "is that I like you. You're the right type of boy. You know the old saying that 'Providence helps those who help themselves.' Well, in this case, I'm going to play Providence."
"You and your fine craft," broke in the professor. "Mr. Ironsides, you are a man in a thousand. We can never be sufficiently grateful to you."
"No sah! No sah! No sah! Dat we can't, sah!" struck in Rosewater.
Crash!
In his enthusiasm the negro dropped an armful of plates he had been removing.
The accident, and the negro's comical expression of dismay, broke the tension of the moment, which was becoming quite emotional. They all broke into a hearty laugh.