"
She looked at him oddly. "Well, now," she confessed, "you are a
mystery to me in half a dozen ways; but if on top of all you mean to
turn pious--"
He laughed, and when the laugh was done it seemed to prolong itself
inside him for fully half a minute.
"You are right, ma'am. Let us be practical again; and, as the first
practical question, let me ask you, or Captain Branscome, what you
propose to do with this man? Obviously, we cannot take him along
with us after the treasure."
"Well, I imagine we are returning to the schooner. He can be left on
board, in charge of Mr. Rogers."
"But I was about to suggest that we take Mr. Rogers along with us.
In some ways, he is the most active of the party, and we can hardly
spare him."
"Of Goodfellow, then, or whomsoever Captain Branscome may appoint to
take charge of the ship."
The Doctor sat silent, as though busy with a thought that had
suddenly occurred to him. After a minute, he lifted his head and
threw a quick glance upward at the sky.
"The breeze is freshening again, Captain," he announced. "If you
care to hoist sail, the rowers can take a rest, at least until we
reach Cape Fea."
Captain Branscome gave permission to hoist sail, and soon we were
running homeward with as much as we could carry.
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