But Roy told no yarn, and still they were all silent. After a while, Tom spoke.
“I don’t want to make you talk about it, if you don’t feel like it,” he said, “or if you don’t remember, but I always thought that maybe you were alive because a board belonging to your launch’s skiff was in the launch when we got her.”
Garry laughed. “Tell him how it happened, Stanton,” said he.
“I remember all about it,” said Harry. “I was in the launch and Benty was in the tender, bailing it out. There was a long rope from the tender to the Nymph. He was singing and I was sitting in the cabin talking to him. We had a light on the launch. That’s the same way as I told it to you—isn’t it?” he questioned, turning to Garry.
“Sure—go on.”
“Then I heard a speed-boat coming—down?”
“That’s what you said,” Garry encouraged.
“Maybe it was up. Anyway I called, but I suppose they couldn’t hear me on account of their exhaust.”
“You see,” said Garry. “He wanted to warn them about the small boat which was about thirty feet away and had no light.”
“They crashed into it and Benty yelled that he was hurt and said he had hold of the rope. And then—and then—” Stanton broke off, looking frightened and perplexed, and rubbed his hands together distressingly.