Meantime the yards were swung round and the ship stood on her course.
“We must have the lads below at once,” said one of the persons standing round. “They have been many hours wet through and exposed on the mast, and even now, if we don’t look out, they may slip through our fingers.”
“Very true, Doctor Cockle,” said another, who was, I saw by his dress, an officer. “One of them may be put into my cabin, where you can look after him better than for’ard.”
“And the other can go into mine,” said the doctor, the person who had first spoken.
No one had asked us any questions; probably they saw by our condition that we should have been unable to answer them, for both Jim and I were fast verging towards unconsciousness.
We were at once carried below, when I was put into the mate’s cabin, where my clothes were stripped off by the doctor’s orders, and, being rubbed dry, I was placed between the blankets. The doctor, who had been looking after Jim, soon came and gave me something out of a glass, which seemed to warm me up wonderfully. But even then I could not have spoken if my life had depended upon it.
“Get some warm broth as quickly as you can,” I heard the doctor say to someone, he in the meantime rubbing my feet and hands and chest. It seemed as if scarcely more than two or three minutes had passed when a basin of hot broth was brought me, which I drank without difficulty, and it did me more good than the stuff in the glass.
“You may go to sleep now, my lad,” said the doctor, in a kind tone; “you’ll do well. You shall tell us by-and-by how you and your companion came to be on the mast.”
I obeyed the doctor’s orders, and scarcely had the door been closed than I was fast asleep. I was awakened by the doctor coming in, accompanied by a boy who brought some more soup and some bread, and which, being very hungry, I thankfully swallowed.
“You can eat something more substantial now,” said the doctor, and he told the boy to bring in some fowl and more bread from the breakfast-table.