And presently we saw coming along the shore, where the little waves were breaking, three figures. The figures were those of Elizabeth and Pukkie—of those two I was certain—and the third looked like Bobby. I had to look several times before I was sure of him. He was walking beside Elizabeth, and his attitude betokened a strange mixture of devotion and distaste. As I looked again I saw that Elizabeth and Pukkie had been recently wet—very wet—and they were not yet dry. Bobby was not wet. The inference was obvious: Elizabeth and Pukkie had been overboard, and Bobby had not. But where had Bobby come from? Eve and I hurried down the steep path, and met them at its foot.
Elizabeth raised her eyes to me, and I saw two deep pools under a summer sun, and all manner of colors played over them, concealing the depths. Then for an instant the lights were quenched that concealed the depths, and her eyes became as two dark wells with yet a sort of light illumining the darkness, and there I saw content, but not satisfaction—if those two can be reconciled. It was for but an instant, and then the lights came back, and her eyes danced, and she laughed at me.
"Are you wondering," she asked, "what has happened to us, and what Bobby Leverett is doing here?"
"It is easy to guess," I answered, "that you and Pukkie have been overboard, although why you should go in swimming in all your clothes is another matter. But I must confess to some wonder about that matter standing fidgeting there." And I pointed an accusing finger at Bobby.
Bobby was ill at ease, and struggling between the constraint that was upon him and a wish to tell his tale.
"Well, you see, Adam," he began, "I—we were cruising—"
"Who," I asked, interrupting, "is 'we'?"
"Bobby," said Elizabeth quietly, "you'd better let me tell it first. Puk and I," she continued, addressing Eve and me, "were sailing along too calmly, and he wanted to put up the gafftopsail. So he got it out, and ran with it, and he caught his foot in some of the superfluous ropes and blocks, and went overboard—topsail and all. I was afraid he might be tangled in the sail, so I let all the halliards go on the run, and I went after him. I got him, and saved the sail, and there was a boat from the Rattlesnake, with Bobby. He helped us on board again, and insisted upon coming with us."
Bobby again opened his mouth to speak.