ght, I bathed my face and hands, and regretted that such
things as soap and towels had been forgotten with many other things.
Not irremediable, our plight; for now I could see the _Belle Helene_
still rolling at her anchor, uneasy, but still afloat; and in the
daylight, and with a lessening sea, there would be no great difficulty
in boarding her as we liked.

Presently the others of the party were all afoot, standing stiffly,
sluggishly, in the chill of dawn; and such was the breakfast which my
boy John presently prepared for us, that I confess I began to make
comparisons not wholly to his discredit. Now, for instance, said I to
myself, had it been Mrs. Daniver who had been forgotten on board
ship--but, of course, that line of reasoning might not be followed
out. And as for Mrs. Daniver herself, it was only just to say that she
made a fair attempt at comradeship, considering that she had retired
without any aid whatever for her neuralgia. Helena seemed reticent.
The men, as usual, ate apart. I did not find myself loquacious. Only
my two young ruffians seemed full of the enjoyment possible in such a
situation.

"Gee! ain't this fine?" said L'Olonnois. "I never did think we'd be
really shipwrecked and cast away on a desert island. This is just
like it is in the books."

"Can we go huntin' now?" demanded Jean Lafitte, his mouth still full
of bacon. "And will you come along? There must be millions of them
ducks and geese. I didn't know there was so many in all the world."

"You may go, both of you, Jean Lafitte," said I, "if you'll be careful
not to shoot yourselves. As for me, I must go back once more to the
boat, I fancy."

Peterson and I now held a brief conference, and presently, leaving the
ladies in charge of Willy and the cook, we two, with Williams to run
the motor, with some difficulty launched the long boat and made off
through a sea none too amiable, to go aboard the _Belle Helene_ once
more--which so short a time before I had thought we never might do
again.

"This is easier than pulling out in the dingey," grinned Peterson, as
we approached the _Belle Helene_. "Confound that deck-hand, he might
have got you drowned! I'll fire him, sure!"

"No," said I; "I've been thinking that over. There was a great deal of
confusion, and after all, he may have thought that we had John with
us. Besides, he's only young, and he's human. I'll tell you what
we'll do, Peterson--I'll dock him a month's wages, and I'll send