The captain was very voluble, very noisy, and very jolly. He made all the boys come on board his vessel, and give an account of their adventures after leaving him. They did so, and he listened with deep attention, varied from time to time by peals of laughter. “Wal, boys,” said he at last, “I’m a goin right straight off to Boston as soon as I get my cargo in. Ain’t there any of you that wants to go? I’ll take any of you, or all of you. Come now.” The boys thanked him, but excused themselves, and explained that they couldn’t go very easily, as the school had now begun, and they were all hard at work at their studies. “Sorry for that,” said Captain Pratt. “I’m too late, I see. Perhaps I’ll have another chance with you. At any rate, I’ll promise you a better vessel than the one you had on your cruise. Of all the old tubs--But where is she now. Has Corbet got a tater freight?” At this question the boys said nothing, but looked silently and with melancholy glances over the stern to where the form of the Antelope was half visible above the water. Captain Pratt saw their glances. “What craft’s that there?” he asked. “That,” said Bart, “is the gallant craft that you just asked about--the one that we had in our cruise--the Antelope.” “That!” cried Captain Pratt; and starting up, he walked astern, and took a long look at the schooner. The boys followed him. They said nothing, but looked at the Antelope along with Captain Pratt. XXIII. _Inspection of the Schooner.--Captain Pratt to the Rescue.--His Engines and his Industry.--Up she rises!--Who’ll go for Captain Corbet?_ CAPTAIN Pratt was the first to break the silence. “Wal,” said he, at last, “whar’s Corbet?” “He’s home.” “Home? Why don’t he do something?” “Why, what can he do?” “Do? Everything.” “He says the schooner’s lost.” “Lost!” “Yes.” “Did he say so himself?” “He said the schooner was ‘a gone sucker.’ Those were his own words.” “And didn’t he try to do anything?” “No.” “What--didn’t even try?” “No.” “Wal, I declare! I never did think that Corbet had much brains; but this beats everything. To go and let his schooner go to destruction in this way, and not even try to save her, is a little beyond what I expected even of _him_. But how did it happen?” The boys told him. “And so,” said Captain Pratt, “he came here next day, and found the schooner lying here, and did nothing--jest sot down and lamented over her. Why, what’s the man made of? He’s about the only man I ever heard of that could sit still and see his property perish.” “But all the people in the village thought it was lost.” “Of course. If he said so, they believed him. If he did nothing, why should they try to do anything? If a man won’t help himself, you don’t suppose other people’s goin to help him--do you?” “And do you think, after all, that she could have been saved?” “Course she could.” “And she wasn’t lost?” “Course she wasn’t.” “Could she be saved now?” “Course she can.”