It was clear that the yacht must have been left in the most desperate haste.
“Ahoy, there!” shouted Mr. Brown cheerfully, “Don’t worry; we’ll soon get you!”—Page 293
The clothes of the castaways were burned and their faces blistered and smudged. They must have fought the fire desperately till the last moment, when they found further effort useless.
“Ahoy, there!” shouted Mr. Brown cheerfully. “Don’t worry; we’ll soon get you!”
“We can wait a while longer,” came back a cheery voice.
It proceeded from a stout, good-natured looking man whose clothes were perhaps a trifle more disreputable than any of the others.
“I’m Wireless Willie,” he cheerfully explained, as he climbed on board. “This is a fine note, isn’t it? I’ve lost everything and came pretty near losing my mind. Do you blame me? She caught fire forward, and—Pouf!—up she went like kindling wood.”