"Mrs. Watson is
anxious about you."

"Mrs. Watson?"

"Yes. She won't go to bed till you get back to the house. There's
another man out for you, up the river."

"O, I'm sorry we have given you all so much trouble," said Bart; "but
we didn't think that anybody would bother themselves about us."

"Well, you don't know Mrs. Watson that's all," said the man, walking
along with them. "She's been a worrytin herself to death about you;
and the sooner she sees you, the better for her and for you."

On reaching the house the boys were received by Mrs. Watson. One look
at her was enough to show them that the man's account of her was true.
Her face was pale, her manner was agitated, and her voice trembled as
she spoke to them, and asked them where they had been.

Bart expressed sorrow at having been the cause of so much trouble, and
assured her he thought that she had gone to bed.

"No," said she; "I've been too excited and agitated about your friend
and about you. But I'm glad that you've been found; and as it's too
late to talk now, you had better go to bed, and try to sleep."

With these words she gently urged them to their bedroom; and the boys,
utterly worn out, did not attempt to withstand her. They went to bed,
and scarcely had their heads touched the pillows before they were fast
asleep.

Meanwhile the boys on board the Antelope had been no less anxious; and,
unable to sleep, they had talked solemnly with each other over the
possible fate of poor Tom. Chafing from their forced inaction, they
looked impatiently upon the ebbing water, which was leaving them
aground, when they were longing to be floating on its bosom after their
friend, and could scarcely endure the thought of the suspense to which
they would be condemned while waiting for the following morning.

Captain Corbet also was no less anxious, though much less agitated. He
acknowledged, with pain, that it was all his fault, but, appealed to
all the boys, one by one, asking them how he should know that the rope
was rotten. He informed them that the rope was an old favorite of his,
and that he would have willingly risked his life on it. He blamed
himself chiefly, however, for not staying in the boat himself, instead
of leaving Tom in it. To all his remarks the boys said but little, and
contented themselves with putting questions to him about the coast, the
tides, the wind, the currents, and the fog.

The boys on board went to sleep about one o'