"Whaleback! Oh, I wish we were there now! No, I don't either!" exclaimed Ralph.
"I wish you was there, anyhow," said the captain gruffly. "That's where you belong. I believe the master there would take you back and forgive you. You've got a good dose of punishment, if ever a couple of young liars had."
"You don't know how Mr. Bernard feels about lying. He will never want the other boys to be with us again,--never!" said Ralph.
"I don't know about that," and Captain Dare shook his head wisely. "I know there isn't nobody hates a lie worse nor me; but it ain't for me to hold back when a fellow is sorry for it, and quits the whole business of lying."
"And I mean to do that!" interposed Ralph with emphasis; "but Mr. Bernard doesn't know it."
"No, and that's just what I was wishing you on Whaleback for, so you could tell him."
"He wouldn't believe us!" exclaimed Ben. "We couldn't expect him to, after we lied to him as we did. No, I don't want to see him. A storm at sea is bad enough; but I believe I'd rather go through another than go ashore and face him."
"I'd like to have him know how I feel about it," said Ralph. "I mean to write him a letter after I get back to father's. Of course we never can be taken back into school."
"Breakfast!" shouted Marcus, flourishing the towel with which he had been polishing the tin plates.
"I believe the fright last night took away my seasickness," said Ralph, as he helped himself to the fish Marcus had broiled. "The fright did it, or else it died a natural death, for I had it long enough. I feel more like myself than I have since I came on board."