It was no easy matter to transfer Pop to one of the lower staterooms, but once placed on a soft berth the Rovers did all they could for him.

“It is like a romance,” said Sam, while Randolph Rover was administering some medicine to the unconscious man.  “How thin he looks.”

“He’s been suffering from starvation,” put in Dick.  “I suppose he gave that yell we heard with his last breath.”

All of the party watched over the colored man with tender care, and feeling that he could be in no better hands the captain left him entirely in his friends’ charge.  “When he comes to his senses you can let me know,” he said.

Dick was watching by Pop’s side, and Tom was at the foot of the berth, when the colored man opened his eyes.  As they rested on first one Rover and then the other he stared in utter astonishment.

“My gracious sakes alive!” he gasped.  “Am I dreamin’, or am I back to Putnam Hall again?”

“Neither, Aleck,” replied Dick.  “You are safe on board an ocean steamer.”

“An’ yo’ —­ whar yo’ dun come from?”

“We are passengers on the steamer,” said Tom.  “You were picked up several hours ago.”

“Yes, but —­ but I can’t undersand dis nohow!” persisted the colored man, and tried to sit up, only to fall back exhausted.

“Don’t try to understand it, Aleck, until you are stronger,” said Dick.  “Would you like some hot soup?”

“Anyt’ing, sah, anyt’ing!  Why, I aint had, no reg’lar meal in most a week!” moaned the sufferer.  “Glory to Heaben dat I am sabed!”

And then he said no more for quite a long, while.

The soup was already at hand, and it was Dick who fed it slowly and carefully, seeing to it that Pop should have no more than his enfeebled stomach could take care of, for overfeeding, so Mr. Rover had said, might kill the man.

The next day Pop was able to sit up, although still too weak to stand on his legs.  He was continually praising Heaven for his safety.

“I dun Vink I was a goner more dan once,” he said.  “I was on de ocean all alone about a week, I reckon, although I lost time ob days after I’d been out two or Vree nights.  I Vink I was most crazy.”

“Perhaps you were, Aleck,” said Sam.  “But tell us how you got in that position.”

“Dat am de queerest part ob it, Master Rober —­ de queerest part of it.  I got into de small boat fo’ a sleep, and de fust Ving I knowed I was miles an’ miles away from eberyt’ing; yes, sah-miles an’ miles away on de boundless ocean, an’ not so much as a fishin’ smack sail in sight.  Golly, but wasn’t I scared —­ I reckon I dun most turn white!” And Aleck rolled his eyes around impressively.

“You were in a small boat attached to some steamer?”

“Dat’s it.  Da had been usin’ de small boat fo’ surnt’ing, and left her overboard.”

“Were you cut adrift?”

“I don’t tink I was —­ but I aint shuah nohow.”