Hereupon Ebony began to translate his information as he best could into the language of the little creature, in which effort he was not very successful, being an indifferent linguist.
Meanwhile the vessel gradually neared the island, stood into the lagoon, and, finally, dropped anchor. A boat was at once lowered and made for the shore.
And oh! how intensely and intently did those in the boat and those on the shore gaze at each other as the space between them diminished!
“They not look like enemies,” said Betsy in subdued tones.
“And I don’t think they are armed,” returned Marie, with palpitating heart, “but I cannot yet make out the faces—only, they seem to be white, some of them.”
“Yis, an’ some of ’em’s brown.”
Thus—on the shore. In the boat:—
“Now den, massa, you sees her—an’ ha! ha! dar’s Betsy. I’d know her ’mong a t’ousind. You sees de bonnit—tumblin’ about like a jollyboat in a high sea; an’ Ziffa too wid de leetil bonnit, all de same shape, kin you no’ see her?”
Zeppa protested, rather anxiously, that he could not see them, and no wonder, for just then his eyes were blinded by tears which no amount of wiping sufficed to clear away.
At that moment a shriek was heard on shore, and Betsy was seen to spring, we are afraid to say how many feet, into the air.