we had a boat crew we mightn't try, but we're
under-handed. No, we'll have to hoof it if we go."

"Hoof it--what is that?" asked she.

"Walk it," replied Raft, "and I'm thinking it's beyond you, you aren't
fit for travelling rough, like me."

"Aren't I?--I suppose I don't look strong, but I am, of course I'm not
as strong as you, but I can keep on once I begin, and I have been
through a good deal ever since that night we were wrecked, I don't think
any journey we could make would be worse than that. And I was not
prepared for all that as I am now for anything that may happen. Think of
it, we had all been sitting at dinner, it was only a little while after
dinner and I had my evening frock on."

"Your evening which?"

"Dress. They were all rich people on board the yacht and they put on
different clothes always for dinner. It seems stupid--well, I was down
below and I suddenly felt that I must get on deck, so I put on these
clothes and my oilskin and sou'wester, then, as I was coming upstairs
the collision happened. I got on deck and it was quite dark until the
electric light was put on, then I saw the stern of your ship with the
name on it."

She paused with a little shudder and seemed visualizing the terrible
picture again.

"Heave ahead," said Raft interestedly.

"Then I was thrown into a boat and forgot everything until I woke in the
early morning alone with those two men. It was all just like that. I
wasn't prepared for hardship as I am now, and I hadn't a companion like
you. Those two men were no use."

"How's that?" asked he.

"Well, they were always grumbling."

"Swabs."

"I didn't mind that so much, but they were no use, they wouldn't do
things. I had to make them go and hunt for firewood, they might just as
well have had no hands. Bompard, the oldest one wasn't so bad--"

"It was the other chap you done in," said Raft. "Well, I reckon you've
been through it. Rum thing I saw you first when I was handling a topsail
in that blow. The weather broke and I was holdin' on to the yard when I
sighted you away to starboard with the sun on you. Old Ponting was close
to me and he yelled out he'd seen you before and give you your name, the
_Gaston de Paree_."

"And we sighted you," said she, "I was down below when the steward came
with a message that there was a ship in sight, I came up and there you
were with the sun on you and the storm clouds behind, and do you know
you frightened me."

"How so?" ask