he nodded off again. Adair
was with difficulty aroused to consciousness. He was utterly unable to
help himself or to move. Had he been left alone he must have perished.
Murray called loudly on Mr Gale. He sprang up; though, when he moved,
he found his limbs very stiff. They went to examine into the state of
their other companions. Both the poor fellows were dead. The survivors
felt that they had still greater reason for gratitude that they had been
spared while others had been taken.

When daylight increased sufficiently to enable them to discover objects
on shore, they found Captain Hartland and several of the men, with a
number of the Greeks, assembled on the beach to help them. Another pair
of slings on a second traveller was now fitted, and Adair being placed
in it, Mr Gale accompanied him on shore, helping him along through the
surf. Murray and Jack followed, several of the men, with ropes round
their waists, rushing out into the surf to help them, for no men more
than sailors know how to appreciate the act of devotion the two lads had
that night performed. The captain met them as they came dripping out of
the surf, and shook them heartily by the hand. He was one of those
doing men who do not expend many words in expressing their feelings.
The words he did speak were very gratifying to the young midshipmen. He
would not allow them, however, to remain on the beach, but had them all
carried up to the nearest house, and put to bed, when the doctor soon
arrived to attend to poor Adair's leg. The house where they were lodged
was of some size. It belonged to a Greek nobleman, who was absent at
the time of their arrival, but an old woman, a sort of housekeeper, and
her two daughters had charge of it, and took very good care of them.
Their attendants did not come very near the classic models they had read
about at school, but they were good-natured and kind, and evidently
anxious to please them. The three midshipmen did their best to talk
Greek, but though they summoned up all the choicest phrases they had
learned at school, they signally failed at first in making themselves
understood. At last they bethought them of putting all their previous
knowledge of the Hellenic tongue out of the question, and of pointing to
things and asking their names. Frequently they found a great similarity
between the modern and ancient Greek, which assisted them very much in
recollecting the names of the things they learned.