CHAPTER XXIV.
THE TORPEDO-BOAT DESTROYER Before Vickers and his companions had recovered from the surprise which this extraordinary cool message had given them, the men had bundled Chatfield across the beach and into the boat and were pulling quickly back to the _Pike_.
Audrey broke the silence with a ringing laugh.
"Captain Andrius is certainly the perfection of polite pirates," she exclaimed.

"More food--more wraps--and books and papers! Was any marooned mariner ever one-half so well treated ?" "What's the fellow mean about no vessel passing here for two more days ?" growled Copplestone, who was glaring angrily at the yacht.

"What's he so meticulously correct for ?" "I should say that he's referring to some weekly or bi-weekly steamer which runs between Kirkwall and the mainland," replied Vickers.
"Well--it's good to know that, anyhow.

But wait until the _Pike's_ vamoosed again, and we'll make up such a column of smoke that it'll be seen for many a mile.

In fact, I'll go and gather a lot of dried stuff now--you two can drag those boxes and things up the beach and see what our gaolers have been good enough to send us." He went away up the cliffs, and Audrey and Copplestone, once more left alone, looked at each other and laughed.
"That's right," said Copplestone.