But now he did hesitate.

It was bitter enough punishment to him to be there exposed to all the dangers of a sudden storm, with the safety, and perhaps the life, not only of himself, but of us whom he had induced to accompany him, on his hands; but to have one of those comrades turn against him in the moment of peril was more than he had looked for.
"I'll take an oar," said Charlie, before there was time to say anything.
"No," said Hall, starting up; "take the helm, Charlie.

And you," added he, to Hutton, "give me your oar and get up into the bows." The voice in which this was spoken, and the look of scorn which accompanied it, fairly cowed Hutton, who got up like a lamb and crawled into the bows, leaving Hall and me to row.
"Keep her straight to the waves, whatever you do! it's all up if she gets broadside on!" said the former to Charlie.
And so for another half-hour we laboured in silence; then almost suddenly the daylight faded, and darkness fell over the bay.
I rowed on doggedly in a half-dream.

Stories of shipwrecks and castaways crowded in on my mind; I found myself wondering how and when this struggle would end.

Then my mind flew back to Parkhurst, and I tried to imagine what they must think there of our absence.