Soon after sunrise next morning, we were laughing, crying, and acting as
bad as that there fat passenger, for we were aboard a large ship, whose
light had shone out like a star of hope for us; and when they picked us
up, I found that the vessel was bound for Sydney.
But our pleasure did not last long, for what with the exposure and
excitement, Miss Bell broke down, and next day she was so far from being
in safety that she was in a raging fever.
Perhaps I may be right, perhaps wrong; but measuring things as I saw
them, it has always struck me that, true-hearted man as he was, Mr Ward
would never have won his wife after all, if it had not been for that
fever; but it must have been a fine thing for him, being the only doctor
within reach, to have to tend on her, and most likely save her life.
It was in after-years that I saw them happily settled in Wellington; and
as they had me seated there between them, they seemed to treat me quite
as an old friend, as we went over together the old days, and Mr Ward
told me laughingly how hard a fight he had had to win his wife.
We talked long over our old troubles; and I had news for them of some of
the mutineers--of how I had learned that one boat had been picked up,
with the crew's story written on their faces, for they had suffered
horribly before they were saved from certain death. As for the other
boat, it was never heard of more.
I had news for them, too, of Mr Tomtit, whom I had seen in the street
just before I left England on that cruise. He had shaken me heartily by
the hand, just as if I was his equal, and taken me home to show me the
collection of birds he was about to ship, with a lot of what he called
baby-salmon, for Sydney. He was still a bachelor, and pressed me hard
to go and see him again, and wanted me to stay dinner then; but my time
was short, and I had to say good-bye, though not till I had asked if he
had seen any more of the fat passenger. Mr Tomtit then told me that he
had been to England, and called to see him, and shed tears when he said
good-bye. I said it myself now; but he made me stop for a glass of
grog, and a half-hour's chat about our perils aboard the Sea-mew.