If I had an oar or somethin' to
steer this clipper with, maybe we could git into shoal water. As 'tis,
we'll have to manage her the way Ote Wixon used to manage his wife, by
lettin' her have her own way."

They floated in silence for a few moments. Then Miss Patience, who had
bravely tried to stifle her sobs, said with chattering teeth, "Perez,
I'm pretty nigh froze to death."

It will be remembered that the Captain had spoken of the weather as
being almost as warm as summer. This was a slight exaggeration. It
happened, fortunately for the castaways, that this particular night,
coming as it did just at the end of the long thaw, was the mildest of
the winter and there was no wind, but the air was chill, and the damp
fog raw and biting.

"Well, now you mention it," said Captain Perez, "it IS cold, ain't it?
I've a good mind to jump overboard, and try to swim ashore and tow the
carryall."

"Don't you DO it! My land! if YOU should drown what would become of ME?"

It was the tone of this speech, as much as the words, that hit the
Captain hard. He himself almost sobbed as he said:

"Pashy, I want you to try to git over on this front seat with me. Then
I can put my coat 'round you, and you won't be so cold. Take hold of my
hand."

Miss Patience at first protested that she never could do it in the
world, the carriage would upset, and that would be the end. But her
companion urged her to try, and at last she did so. It was a risky
proceeding, but she reached the front seat somehow, and the carryall
still remained right-side-up. Luckily, in the channel between the
beaches there was not the slightest semblance of a wave.

Captain Perez pulled off his coat, and wrapped it about his protesting
companion. He was obliged to hold it in place, and he found the task
rather pleasing.

"Oh, you're SO good!" murmured Miss Patience. "What should I have done
without you?"

"Hush! Guess you'd have been better off. You'd never gone after that
fox if it hadn't been for me, and there wouldn't have been none of this
fuss."

"Oh, don't say that! You've been so brave. Anyhow, we'll die together,
that's a comfort."

"Pashy," said Captain Perez solemnly, "it's mighty good to hear you say
that."

It is, perhaps, needless to explain that the "dying" portion of
the lady's speech was not that referred to by the Captain; the
word "together" was what appealed to him. Miss Patience apparently
understood.

"Is it?" she said softly.

"Y