d round us all
as he said, "How would you like staying here another six weeks?" "Very
much indeed! Beyond every thing. It is just what we wanted. It would be
most jolly." Schillie wound up by saying, "It is extremely stupid, and I
should not like it at all." "Would _you_ not?" said the captain, with
kind concern, laying great stress on the you; "Oh but ye must, I'd never
take ye to sea, and La Luna in such a leaky state." "What, captain, how!
pray explain yourself." "Well, if I must tell the truth, the more we
have examined the ship the more fearful are we to trust you all on board
of her." Heaps of voices now interrupted the captain. "But what are we
to do? How are we to get away? We don't want to stay here for ever. That
would be too much of a good thing." "Silence, girls," said I, "do let us
hear what the captain proposes." "This is my proposal then, Madam.
Emptied of her cargo, and with as few hands in her as possible, La Luna
will run nicely to St. Domingo, or some of the parts lying to the
westward, and belonging to South America; and, even should she fail, we
men can take to the boat, and, at all events make for some place, where
we can procure a vessel to come for you." "But La Luna won't sink,
surely we shall not lose her; we don't want any ship but her. Don't you
know how you love her yourself, captain?" "So I do! so I do! young
ladies, and I am fain to allow it's as much for her sake as yours, that
I want to take her to some port to get properly repaired. She has
strained so much that her ribs are quite bent, and, lying as she does,
exposed to this hot sun, her seams are bursting asunder in all
directions. She is too much damaged for us to repair, so as to make it
safe for you to go in her. Therefore, Madam, will you let me take her
empty to St. Domingo, where I will immediately charter a vessel for your
use, and leave La Luna in dock to be repaired against we come for her."
"But, supposing anything was to happen; supposing she was to founder and
all hands be lost, what would become of us?" "I would not have proposed
such a scheme, Madam, did I not feel sure there would be no danger of
such a thing happening; and, any way, it is better you should be left on
this island, for the chance of a ship coming this way, than liable to go
down to the bottom of the sea, without the power of man to save you." "I
am not so sure of that, captain, I think I should prefer all sinking or
swimming together." "At any rate, Madam,