Page:Cornelia Meigs--The island of Appledore.djvu/95

Rh Billy was asleep almost before they had reached the door. When he awoke again he certainly felt much better, though stiff and  sore and uncomfortable still. A smiling colored boy in a white jacket was sitting by his berth, put there for the special purpose, it  seemed, of catching him when he rolled over  the edge, which he did immediately.

The wind had risen and the torpedo-boat that had picked them up was pitching and  tossing as only a torpedo-boat knows the art. Everything in the room danced and rattled and Billy was obliged to brace himself with  both arms to keep from being thrown out of  his berth again and again. He asked between pitches for Captain Saulsby and was assured  that all was well with the old sailor and that he  was “coming around fine.”

Vigorous health is a strong resister even of the after effects of trying to drown, so it was  not long before Billy was able to sit up, then  to step gingerly down from his rocking berth  and try a few unsteady steps across the floor. After that the room became rapidly too small to hold him and he was seized with a devouring curiosity to inspect the ship. He was taken first to see Captain Saulsby, who had