This vocal effort is
stated by competent critics to have been the most effective performance
ever achieved by the gifted warbler. He next began a chaste but somewhat
too vigorous war-dance, but this original sign of welcome was soon
closed by a specially vindictive roll of the vessel, and Thomas
descended to the scuppers like another Icarus.
Ah! blessed sight! The boat, the good, friendly faces of the seamen; and
there, in the stern sheets, the pallid, spiritual face of Henry
Fullerton, looking, as Ferrier thought, like a vision from a stormless
world of beatified souls.
"Two of you men must come and help to lug my patient up."
Could you only have seen that gallant simpleton's endurance of grinding
pain, and his efforts to suppress his groans, you would have had many
strange and perhaps tender thoughts. Mr. Blair was watching the
operations from the yacht, and he said--
"Yes, Lennard, the doctor is right; we need a hospital here. Look at
that poor bundle of agonies coming over the side. How easy it would be
to spare him if we only had the rudiments of proper apparatus here! Yes,
we must have a hospital."
Tom answered: "Yes, and look at the one with the head broken. He'll
suffer a bit when he jumps."
And indeed he did, but he bore the jar like the Trojan that he was--the
good, simple sea-dog.
"Hurry away now, all. I wouldn't give the poor old _Belle_ another
half-hour," said the mate.
In a minute or two the cripples were safe, and Ferrier was in the power
of Blair and Lennard, who threatened to pull his bruised arms away.
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