I can't get over it,
Vir--Miss Virginia, that I wasn't on deck myself, you know. Here's
old Dugald been doing the heroic all his life, and now he gets his
chance again while I'm sleeping off those bally cocoanuts. It's
hard on a chap. I--I wish it had been me."
However dubious his grammar, there was no mistaking the look that
brightened like the dawn in the depths of his clear eyes. My
breath went from me suddenly.
"Oh," I cried excitedly, "isn't that---yes, I _thought_ it was the
dinner gong!"
For as if in response to my dire need, the clang of Cookie's gong
echoed through the island silences.
X
WHAT CRUSOE AND I FOUND
When after those poignant moments in the boat I met Dugald Shaw in
commonplace fashion at the table, a sudden, queer, altogether
unprecedented shyness seized me. I sat looking down at my plate
with the gaucherie of a silly child.
The episode of the afternoon provided Mr. Tubbs with ammunition for
a perfect fusillade of wit. He warned Mr. Shaw that hereafter he
might expect Neptune to have a grudge against him for having robbed
the sea-god of his beauteous prey. I said I thought most likely it
was not Neptune that was robbed but sharks, but sharks not being
classic, Mr. Tubbs would have none of them. He said he believed
that if Mr. Shaw had not inopportunely arrived, Neptune with his
tripod would soon have up-reared upon the wave.
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