k throwing some of the surplus water overboard.

"Working your passage, eh?" laughed Paul, who seemed to be in unusually
high spirits, such was the re-action that had come over him.

Meanwhile they drew in toward the land.

What with the rain that was falling both of them were wet through; but
this was such a chronic condition for a sailor lad to be in that Darry,
for one, paid little attention to it.

CHAPTER XIX

THE PART OF AN ELDER BROTHER

"Come," said Paul, after the boat had been tied up where the waves could
not reach them and things had begun to assume a more comfortable aspect;
"Here's a fine little cabin and an oil stove on which to make a hot pot
of coffee, besides assisting to dry us out. I insist on you staying to
keep me company for a while. We are both cold and wet. Say you will,
Darry!"

Darry did not need much urging. He was wet and chilled, and it did look
cozy after Paul had started the stove going.

"Besides," continued Paul, misconstruing his silence; "I am under heavy
obligations to you for coming to my assistance when you did. You saved
my life and you are a regular life saver like Mr. Peake. There must be
some way in which I can partly cancel that debt. You are allowed salvage
by law when you save a vessel, Darry, did you know it? But for your
coming my poor little _Griffin_ must have gone to pieces, not to mention
what would have become of her owner. Now, how can I settle for this
indebtedness."

He was laughing as he spoke, but Darry considered the moment had come
for him to put in a plea for his friends.

So he swallowed what seemed to be a lump in his throat, for after all it
was no easy thing to ask such a favor from one who was hardly more than
a stranger.

"Mr. Singleton, I was just wishing I could meet you somewhere soon," he
began.

"Well, that is queer, since I was thinking about you too, and hoping you
would not go back on me, for somehow, I seem to have set my mind on
having you with me. And besides, there was another reason why I wanted
to keep track of you, which I may tell you some day soon, Darry. But why
were you wanting to see me?"

"To ask a great favor?"

"Not to let you off from your promise?"

"Oh, no, I'll be only too glad of a chance to be with you. It would be
glorious to spend some time aboard this fine little boat. What I wanted
to say--that is, the favor I wanted to ask was not for myself."

"Come, that's rather strange, Darry. Not for you