that Hibbert was in bed, and in the
hands of those who could take care of him, he began to think a little of
his own condition, which was not altogether so comfortable as might have
been desired.

"I'm sorry. I really had forgotten that you were in damp clothes. Why
didn't you mention it before? You must change them at once."

Mr. Weevil seemed really sorry that he had not given a thought to Paul's
condition before. Paul hastened off to change his damp cloth for dry
ones. While he was thus engaged, Plunger and Baldry entered for the same
purpose. Otherwise they seemed none the worse for the cold bath.
Plunger, in fact had got on good terms with himself again, and was as
perky as ever.

"I should have punted across the river all right if it hadn't been for
Hibbert," he explained. "The scream he gave threw me off my stroke. It
was jolly good of you all the same to come to us, Percival. We shan't
forget it in a hurry--shall we, Baldry?"

"No," was Baldry's emphatic answer. "By the by, how is Hibbert going
on?"

"I was just going to ask the same thing. I would rather have gone under
myself than that he should. Has the doctor been to him?"

Plunger spoke with unusual earnestness.

"Yes, Dr. Clack's been to him. He's with him now."

"And what does he say?"

"He says that it's been a near thing, but with careful nursing he may
pull round."

Plunger paused with one arm in the sleeve of the jacket he was putting
on, and sat down on the side of the bed. He was beginning to realize how
near the Crusoe expedition had been to a tragedy--nay, the danger was
not yet over. Silence fell on the room for some moments. Each was busy
with his own thoughts.

"I haven't yet heard how it all happened," Paul at length inquired.

Plunger told him the origin of the "Crusoe expedition," and all that had
happened up to the moment of the accident.

"I don't know anything about the savages that boarded us on the raft.
Baldry can tell you that part," he concluded.

"Oh, we found out all about the expedition, and didn't like being left
out of it. We thought that we'd have a cut in on our own account. So
Sedgefield, Bember, Viner, and myself got down to the plantation before
Plunger, Moncrief minor, and Hibbert reached it on the raft. While they
landed and got ready for their part, we got ready for ours. What was the
use of Crusoe without the noble savages? So we got up as savages, and
frightened the life out of Plunger and the other