Let us proceed now and astonish them with our presence, which must therefore, as you say, be quite unexpected." "Pull away then, brother." "Right you are!" said Eric in response; and the two, putting their backs into the oars, the boat was soon speeding to the point where the islanders were gathered in a group on the shore--far too busy with the seals they had shot to notice their approach.
"Now," cried Fritz, when they were close to the others, although still unobserved, "let us give them a call." "Shout away!" said Eric; when, he and his brother joining their voices, they gave utterance to a ringing hail that must have frightened all the fish near.
"Boat ahoy!" The party on shore, who had their backs turned seawards, jumped round at this as if they had been shot; but soon, an answering hail assured them that some one amongst the islanders had recognised them.
"Hillo, whar be you sprung from ?" inquired a voice with a strong nasal twang.
It was that of Nat Slater, the "deck hand" of the Rhode Island steamboat! Fritz was perfectly astounded to find him now amongst the Tristaners.
How came he there?
What could possibly have become of the _Pilot's Bride_ and Captain Brown?
These were the anxious thoughts that at once flashed through the mind of the young German, and his brother shared his anxiety to an equal extent.
Nat Slater however did not keep them long in suspense.
"I guess," he said--as soon as they reached the beach and accosted the islanders, who received them very coldly they could perceive, as if looking upon them now as rivals in the same pursuit--"me and the old man couldn't drive the same team long.

We had a muss together, soon as you parted company, an' I asked him to put me ashore at Tristan, thinking to ship in another whaling craft; but, I'm blest if ary a one's called thar since the _Pilot's Bride_ sailed, so I've ben forced to chum in with these islanders!" "Did you get on a spree, or what, to make Captain Brown leave you behind ?" asked Fritz, judging by what the skipper had told him of Mr Nathaniel Slater's character that the real facts of the case might put quite another complexion on his plausible statement, that the skipper had quarrelled with him.
"Waall, I reckon, I did go on a bit of a bender aboard," said the whilom deck hand in a drawling way.

"I managed to stow away a couple o' bottles of Bourbon whisky I got to Providence after I left hum, an' I thought I would have a licker-up arter we parted with you an' your brother, mister, I felt so kinder lonesome." "And I suppose you got so drunk that Captain Brown kicked you out of the ship ?" exclaimed the young German indignantly.

"Why, you knew his particular orders about never allowing any spirituous liquors on board his vessel when at sea!" "I guess he wern't boss of everybody," said the American coolly.

"An' so I told him, too! But, say, mister, I've a kinder hankering to jine you and your brother haar; will you let a poor coon chum in ?" "No, I confess I would rather not," was the instant reply that came from Fritz--a decision which, from his quick look of satisfaction, Eric most cordially shared in.