The captain dashed into the cabin, and reappeared with a silver-mounted briarwood, colored just enough to suggest a comfortable chimney-corner and a mind at ease.
"You left it on the table," he said, presenting it to the big inspector.
The other took it with an expression queerly compounded of surprise, awkwardness, amusement, and delight.
"Thank ye, sir," he said. "It's 'ansome of you to fetch it up ye'self,—most 'ansome. I'm mortal fond o' that pipe."
He regarded it affectionately a moment, and then stowed it away inside his jacket. Then he turned again to go down to the waiting jolly-boat.
"I'll come out to-morrow," he called up to them. "Duty is duty. Good-day, sirs."
"Good-day," they called in concert; and off went the deputy inspector toward the hardly perceptible shore through the fog.
"By George, he's a brick!" Jack cried.
"Right-o," assented Jerry, "but it took you to cement him."
"Atrocious! If you're going to pun like that you must be taken home to your family at once. 'Duty is duty'! Did you see the solemn wink the old fellow tipped me when he spoke of shifting to westward? I thought I should burst out laughing on the spot, and give the whole thing away. How's the water?"