n.

The next thing was to make fast the little boat astern, after which
Binnacle Bill seized the tiller, the sails filled, and the boat began to
glide through the sunny sea, while Bob and I picked out the sunniest
spot we could find, and watched old Jonas as he bent over Bigley and
poured a few drops of spirit between his teeth from a bottle he had
fetched from the little cabin.

"Rowing's put you two right," said Jonas. "Ah, I thought that would do
him good."

Certainly it did, for in a few minutes' time Bigley was able to sit up
in an oil-skin coat of his father's, while we two were accommodated with
a couple of Jersey shirts, which when worn as the only garment are nice
and warm, but anything but becoming.

The little lugger tacked and tacked again before we could make the mouth
of the Gap; and, probably because he was too busy over Bigley and the
boat, old Jonas said no more about the rope's end, but ran us right in
over the pebble bar into the little river, when Binnacle Bill was sent
over to our cottage to fetch some clothes for me and Bob, he being about
my size, and till they came we lay in old Jonas's bed.

Then a tremendous tea was eaten, Bigley being well enough to join in,
and afterwards in cool of the evening old Jonas rowed us round and along
the coast to see if we could pick up our bundles; but they had either
sunk or gone off to sea, and we returned without.

Bigley was evidently very poorly, but he wouldn't give up, and started
to walk part of the way back with us.

I noted one thing as we were going. Bob Chowne and I held out our hands
to say "Good-night," and to thank old Jonas for saving our lives.

"Oh, it was nothing," he said, shaking hands very warmly with Bob
Chowne, but taking no notice of mine. "It's all right. Good-bye, lads,
but don't do it again."

We said we would not, and started off home, where we both expected
severe scoldings; but before we had gone fifty yards up the cliff path
old Jonas hailed us with a stentorian, "Ahoy!"

"What is it, father?" shouted Bigley.

"Bring those boys back," roared old Jonas. "I forgot to give 'em the
rope's end."

I need not tell you we didn't go back. But when we parted from Bigley
half a mile further on, I said to him:

"Why wouldn't your father shake hands with me?"

"Hush! Don't take any notice," said Bigley in low voice; "he's very
angry still about Captain Duncan buying the Gap and finding the silver
mine. That's all!"