The boy, however, expressed his willingness to visit the schooner by entering the dinghy and seating himself in its stern.
"That will do," said White.

"The others won't run away without him, and he is the only one we want anyhow." So the boat was rowed out to the anchored schooner, while those left on the beach watched the departure of their son and brother with the same apathy that they had shown towards all the other happenings of that eventful morning.
"Look at the young scarecrow, taking things as coolly as though he had always been used to having white men row him about a harbour," laughed Cabot, "and yet I don't suppose he was ever in a regular boat before." "No," agreed White, "I don't suppose he ever was." They did not allow Arsenic to enter the "Sea Bee's" cabin, but made him stay on deck, where, however, he appeared perfectly contented and at his ease.

Here Cabot brought the various supplies for their proposed journey and put them up in neat packages while White prepared breakfast.

The former had supposed that their guest would be greatly interested in what he was doing, but the young savage manifested the utmost indifference to all that took place.

In fact he seemed to pay no attention to Cabot's movements, but squatted on the deck, and gazed in silent meditation at the beach, where his mother and sisters could be seen also seated in motionless expectation.
"I believe he is a perfect idiot," muttered Cabot, "and wonder that he knows enough to eat when he's hungry." Then White called him, and he went below to breakfast.
"Do you think it is safe to leave that chap alone on deck with all those things ?" asked the former.
"Take a look at him and see for yourself," replied Cabot.
So White crept noiselessly up the companion ladder and peeped cautiously out.