“Since that is so, then,” said the captain, “you may leave this ship, and young Ericson will take us into the harbour.  The lad may have no more claim to pilot us than yourself, but I doubt not he is quite as capable.”

Kinlay walked across the quarterdeck at this dismissal, but as he put one leg over the gangway to get down to his boat, he said in a hoarse voice, and with a sly leer in his dark eye: 

“I say, skipper, if ye’re examined by the authorities, just say you gave every assistance—­that ye hove ropes over—­d’ye see?  It’s a very lamentable thing.  But it was their own faults, their own faults.”

“What d’ye mean?” said the captain.  “I did heave ropes over, and I need tell no lies about it.  I gave more assistance than you did, ye blackguard.”

“Oh, very well, very well!  I thought I’d just put you on your guard, d’ye see, in case you’re examined.”

And so saying, Kinlay disappeared over the rail, and was soon sailing away, taking Thora with him.

My sister Jessie had come aboard while Carver and the captain were altercating.  She came up to the captain and in great distress asked him if he was sure no more could be done to find our father and the other men; at which he expressed his belief that it was impossible to do anything further.  I must add that this was also my own impression, for I well knew that as the poor fellows had been unable to keep afloat until Kinlay came up to them, nothing could now save them from that terrible current.

But already we could see that there were several boats out looking for the men.  They could do more than we, for in the meantime the Lydia was herself running into some danger, drifting outward with the current.

I spent no time in expressions of regret or lamentation over the calamity that had befallen the men of the Curlew; but, feeling that it was in some measure my duty to undertake the work my father had set out to perform, I told Captain Gordon the best course to take to cheat the tide, and gave him such advice as only a person acquainted with Hoy Sound could possibly give.  Under these directions the barque was guided through the easiest channels into the smooth water inside the Holms, where the anchor was dropped and the vessel secured.

Captain Gordon, who had been very kind to me during all this time, procured me a can of hot coffee to send away my chill.  He then threw a warm pea jacket over my trembling shoulders, and came ashore with us in the small boat that Jessie and Thora had taken the use of.  He also accompanied us to our home to break the sad news to our mother—­a mission in which he showed a fine tenderness and sympathy of heart.

Chapter XXII.  After The Accident.