When he crawled out from the cabin he stared around him as though he could not understand it.
“What! gone ashore so soon, after all, Jack?” he remarked reproachfully.
“So soon?” echoed Josh. “Why, do you know it’s nearly morning, boy? All of us just slept like logs and let Jack do the work. I feel like kicking myself, that’s what.”
“Let me do it for you then, Josh?” asked Buster. “It’ll help wake me up good and plenty, you know.”
“Thank you, but I’m capable of doing my own kicking most of the time. But Jack, now that we’ve landed, you get in under the shelter and make yourself comfortable right away. We’ll wake you up later on when we’ve got breakfast ready.”
“That’s right, sure we will,” added Buster vehemently, though he looked disappointed because Josh placed such little confidence in him.
“Of course, I needn’t ask you fellows to look out for our passenger,” remarked Jack. “He seemed to sleep a part of the time, though I heard him groaning once or twice, poor chap. Be sure to cook enough breakfast for an extra boarder when you’re about it, Buster.”
With that Jack consented to lie down. He was asleep before five minutes went by, being fairly well exhausted. When they aroused him two hours later it was long since full day. The clouds, too, were breaking overhead, promising fair weather, a fact that pleased them all very much.
Breakfast was ready, and the odors gave promise of an appetizing meal. Jack discovered that George had looked again at the arm of the injured Austrian, though not removing the bandage, as everything seemed to be getting along nicely. The man appeared to be rather cheerful. He could say a few words of English, and managed to understand that they were American boys to whom he found himself indebted perhaps for his very life, certainly for the many comforts he was now enjoying.