human
There they are!
gpt
Where? --
human
Who?
gpt
Walt and Ned.
human
Sure enough, so they are!
gpt
Hurrah! --
human
Welcome to the castaways!
gpt
Glad to see you, old fellows! said Joe;
human
We gave ourselves a greater, I’ll be bound, said Walter frankly.
gpt
That was a mighty uncomfortable place we stumbled into.
human
Yes, and we thought we’d seen the last of you fellows, added Ned, throwing himself down upon the rock, and pillowing his head on his locked arms as he lay on his back.
gpt
That’s just as near as I want to come to Robinson Crusoe’s experience. We were worse off than he was--he had plenty of room; and one time when the tide was highest we had the spray flying over our heads. My coat is wet now.
human
Is it this week, or next, or the year 1900? said Walt.
gpt
It seems ages since we dodged around behind that rock to see if we could frighten you.
human
You won’t feel complimented, I am afraid, said Joe laughing,
gpt
That was when we heard them shouting, Ned.
human
Yes, I suppose so.
gpt
Why didn’t you answer?
human
We did; we just yelled. But it was no use, and we knew it, for we could hardly hear you, the sea roared so, as it made up into that pocket in the cliff; and we knew by the sound that you were all shouting together, though it reached us just as faintly. Oh! it was awful there. I thought I was a pretty good kind of a fellow till then, and I thought of all the bad things I ever did.
gpt
So did I, said Ned, looking up at the clouds meditatively.
human
I wonder if folks always do when they get into danger?
gpt
I think they do. I’ve heard my uncle tell how he felt when he came within an inch of drowning. He said everything came back to him like a flash,
human
Well, it’s awful anyway! added Walter.
gpt
I shall never forget how it seemed to have that water come at us like wild beasts, roaring and snapping at us as if it would swallow us whole in a minute.
human
Don’t talk about it, Walt, said Ned shuddering
gpt
I saw you down below there, when Mr. Kramer first hailed you,
human
You did?
gpt
You did?
human
Where were you?
gpt
Yes, that’s what we would like to know.
human
Up on the cliff, lying flat on my stomach; but as soon as I got one glimpse, Mr. Kramer ordered me back.
gpt
Why didn’t you tell us, so we could look?
human
I didn’t want you to break your necks. It was bad enough to have two fellows down in that trap, without letting the rest of the party tumble down on them. Kramer drove me back, but I went and peeped once afterwards. Dave knew I was going. I couldn’t stand it a minute longer; I knew the men had gone in the boat, and was afraid you two would drown before it could get around there, or afraid the boat would swamp if you tried to get in. I prayed hard for a minute.
gpt
Did you? asked Walter, looking quickly at Joe.
human
So did I--harder than I ever did before in all my life.
gpt
Wasn’t I glad to hear you say, ’It’s twelve o’clock, and we are safe!’
human
Is my hair gray, Joe?
gpt
Not much that I can see.
human
I have heard of hair turning gray from fright, and I thought perhaps I might be needing hair-dye.
gpt
When shall we go back to camp, boys?
human
It depends on whether you are going to tell about our scrape, whether I go back at all, replied Walter, laughing, and yet half in earnest.
gpt
You fellows promise not to say anything about it, won’t you?
human
I am willing. It’s all over now, and no harm done to any one; but the teachers will hear of it from Kramer,
gpt
Yes, I suppose so; but don’t let’s tell to-day.
human
Just as you say. We got a joke on ourselves too. While we were rushing around looking at the boat, the tide came up over our baskets of fish and the lunch, and carried off the very best of the fishing-rods. So the laugh will be against us all.
gpt
Here is Jonas with his ’man Friday,’ after the fish!
human
Well, boys, had good luck?
gpt
First-rate, Jonas,
human
Where are the fish, then?
gpt
Echo answers, ’Where?’
human
You didn’t catch any, after all. You’ve been foolin’ around here all day! cried the cook wrathfully.
gpt
Now you’ll get little supper for this, ’cause I’ve been dependin’ on them fish. Here, give me a rod! I’ll catch some for the gentlemen’s supper. You boys can go without.--Come on, Freitag!
human
Lazy scamps!
gpt
Now, Jonas, remonstrated Joe, as soon as he could recover himself and sober his face enough to speak,
human
That’s so, Jonas.
gpt
Humph! great thing to laugh about!
human
You ought to pity rather than scold us, cried Joe, pretending to feel hurt.
gpt
We lost most of our lunch, too. You’ll do as well as you can for us with supper, won’t you?--’cause this has been an awful hard day on us.
human
Oh--oh, hear!