"Hopeless!" sighed. Cora, with a little smile at her chum.
A quick glance on the part of the lieutenant seemed to give him an idea of the nature of the cruise of the Tartar.
"Oh! a pleasure party!" he exclaimed. "I am sorry we had to stop you, but—"
"That's all right," said Cora, for she thought it would be less embarrassing if one of the feminine members gave some assurance. "It doesn't happen to be a pleasure trip."
"No? You astonish me, really! I should say—"
His eyes caught sight of the ragged and un-kempt figure of the marooned sailor.
"Has there been a wreck? Did you save some one?" the lieutenant asked, quickly. His practiced eye told him at once that some tragedy had occurred.
"Something like that—yes," Cora assented. "But the rescue is not over yet. My brother will tell you all about it," and she nodded to Jack. The lieutenant, with a courteous lifting of his cap, turned to face Walter's chum.
"We rescued him from a little island back there," Jack said. "We thought you might be on the same errand."
"No," the officer said, "though we would have gone if we had heard of it. But we are after bigger game. Are you going back to St. Kitts?"