"Excellent! I hope they will," replied the principal, as he ascended to the schooner's deck, followed by Mr. Fluxion and Paul.
CHAPTER V.
CAPTAIN SCHIMMELPENNINK.
At the request of the principal, Mr. Fluxion acted as interpreter in the conversation with the Dutch skipper. The unfortunate man stated his case, and bewailed the heavy loss to which he had been subjected by the tempest.
"Call all hands, if you please, Captain Kendall," said Mr. Lowington, when he had heard the statement as translated by Mr. Fluxion.
Paul gave the required order, and in a few moments the crew were at quarters. The principal took his place on the main hatch, and all the Josephines waited with interest to hear what he had to say.
"Young gentlemen, since we parted company in the squall yesterday, I have suffered a great deal of anxiety on your account. The ship ran off before the gale, while the Josephine lay to. If you had not sailed to the southward after the tempest, we should not have lost sight of you for more than a few hours. I acknowledge that I reproached myself severely for intrusting the vessel to the sole care of students. But I find that she has been as well handled as though she had been under command of an old and experienced man. I wish to say to you that Captain Kendall has acquitted himself remarkably well in the emergency. Though he did not take in his light sails quite as soon as he should, everything else was done with the skill and prudence of a veteran."
At this point the students on board, who knew very well why Paul had not taken in the light sails sooner, looked at one another and smiled significantly. The difficulty between the professor and the captain had been fully discussed among them, and it hardly need be said that Paul was fully justified by his shipmates.
"I want to add," continued the principal, "that the conduct of Captain Kendall—with the exception I have mentioned—is fully and cordially approved. I must say that his behavior, his skill and energy, seem fully to justify the experiment undertaken in the Josephine. Your commander has made a full report of the vessel, and it gives me great pleasure to say that he awards the highest praise to his officers and crew for their zeal and fidelity. He informs me that officers and seamen labored with untiring energy to rescue the unfortunate persons on board of the galiot, and also to save the vessel itself. These efforts have been entirely successful.