"I shall never understand how I came to fall asleep," said Elsie. "I
remember feeling very tired; I sat down for a moment, and that ended
it. The next thing I heard was a rapping on my door, and Dr.
Christobal's voice bidding me hurry if I would see the entrance to the
harbor."
The two men exchanged glances. Courtenay laughed, so pleasantly that
it was good to hear.
"Yet there was I up aloft, maneuvering the ship in the firm faith that
Dr. Christobal was busy in the cook's galley," said he.
"Ah, we have news for you," cried Elsie. "One of the poor fellows who
was knocked on the head during that terrible fight for the boats was
the master cook himself. He is better now, and breakfast can be ready
in five minutes. I'll go and tell him."
She ran off, and Joey scampered by her side, for he knew quite well
where the kitchen lay.
"Bromide is useful at times," murmured Christobal, watching Elsie until
she had disappeared. Then he turned to Courtenay.
"I suppose you have seen nothing of the boats?"
"No sign whatever. And I could hardly have missed them if they were
here. They may have escaped, but I doubt it. The sea ran very high
for a time, and the Kansas scraped past so many reefs that it was
almost impossible for each of the three boats to have done the same."
"Even if one or more of them reached land, there is small likelihood
that they would turn up in this particular bay?"
"That is true, especially if they used their sails. The Chileans who
got away in the life-boats would know sufficient of the coast to
endeavor to make a northerly course, while my parting instructions to
Malcolm were to keep to the north all the time."
"I wish now that poor Isobel Baring and the others had not left us,"
said Christobal sadly.
Courtenay was about to say something, but checked himself. He was not
blind to the aspect of affairs which Tollemache had summarized so
pithily. It might yet be that those who remained had more to endure.
Then Elsie summoned them to breakfast, which was served on deck, as the
saloon had been temporarily converted into a hospital.
Before sitting down, Courtenay paid a brief visit to Mr. Boyle.
Christobal told him not to allow the wounded man to talk too much,
complete rest for a few hours being essential. But Boyle's pallid face
lit up so brightly when the captain stood by his side that it was hard
not to indulge him to some extent.
"Huh," he said, his gruff voice strong as ever. "Christobal was not
humbugging me when he assured me you were all right. Where are we?"