“Pat,” cried Barty, “come along. Are you crazy? The Antelope’s sinking! What do you mean? Stop that. If you tie yourself to the mast, you’ll go down with her. What nonsense! Drop that rope, and come with us.” “Sure it’s safer here,” said Pat, calmly, “than on that bit of a boat, so it is.” “But the Antelope’s sinking.” “Sure, don’t I know it? Meself does.” “But you’ll go down in her, if you do that.” “Arrah, what are you talking about? In shipwracks, doesn’t everybody tie themselves to the mast?” “What in the world shall we do?” cried Bart, in despair. “He’s crazy. I never saw anything like it. He’s got a craze about tying himself to the mast. Don’t you remember how he did the very same on board the Petrel?” “We’ll have to go and untie him,” said Bruce. “Only see how he’s fastening and knotting the rope,” said Tom. “We’ll have to seize him, and bring him here by main force,” said Arthur. But from these thoughts they were now diverted by the appearance of Solomon. He had been very busy for about a quarter of an hour, and was now pulling away at a rope, as though the salvation of the whole party depended upon the successful accomplishment of his design. “Solomon,” cried Bart, “hurry, hurry! Come along! Hurry! The Antelope’s going down fast! Hurry, and bring Pat along with you. The captain’s waiting till you leave the Antelope. Hurry! “I’se jest a histin up dis yer cookin-stove,” said he. “Ben tyin de ropes roun it ebery which way, an jes got her ready to be put into de boat.” “The what!” cried Arthur. “De cookin-stove,” said Solomon, gravely. “He’s mad!” cried Bruce. “He’s gone crazy. Pat and Solomon have both gone mad with excitement or terror.” “You jes gib a left here, an help dis ole man put dis yer cookin-stove aboard de boat, an den you ’ll be all right.” “Solomon! Solomon!” cried Bart, “what horrible nonsense! What do you mean by talking about putting a cooking-stove on board the boat? Come along. Be quick.” “Tell you what,” said Solomon, “dis yer stove am a nessary succumstance. How you s’pose you get you meals cooked? Mus hab a cookin-stove. Mus so. You got water to bile, and things to cook.” “Nonsense;” cried Bart. “Can’t you see that it’ll sink the boat?” “But what’ll you do?” said Solomon. “You’ll suffer if you don’t take it. You mus hab a cookin-stove. Mus so!”