“Well, how are you feeling? And where in the name of common sense did you come from?”
“I’m sort of tired, sir, that’s all. I went overboard from the Gyandotte. Something broke loose on deck and struck me and first thing I knew I was in the water.”
“Pleasant experience! Go ahead and finish your coffee.”
“I’ve had enough, sir, thanks.”
“Feeling hungry?”
“No, sir, not a bit.”
“Just as well. We’ll feed you up later. Don’t know how soon we’ll be able to land you back on your ship, though. If this gale keeps on we’ll be down some time. What kept you from drowning?”
“I don’t know, sir. I had a life-vest on, of course. After I’d been floating around awhile my hand struck against this boat and found a sort of hole——”
“Scupper, probably. How long were you hanging on before we got you?”
Nelson frowned and shook his head. “I don’t know. It seemed a long time, but I don’t think it could have been more than a quarter of an hour.”