Robert's manner had been calm, but he found when he lay down that he was
surcharged with excitement. It was inside him and wanted to get it out,
but he kept it bottled up, and after an hour spent in quieting his
nerves he fell asleep. When he awoke, dressed and went on deck, all
trace of the storm had gone. The _Hawk_ swung quietly at anchor and to
him she seemed the very finest ship that had ever sailed on any sea from
the day of the galley to the day of the three-decker. He noticed with
pleasure how trim everything was, how clean was the wood, how polished
the brass, and how the flag of Britain snapped in the breeze overhead.
He noticed too the eighteen pounders and he knew these were what had
done the business for the slaver and pirate. Lanham gave him a hearty
welcome.

"It's half way to noon," he said, "and you slept long and well, as you
had a right to do, after saving His Majesty's twenty-two gun sloop,
_Hawk_, from the rocks. We had a boat's crew ashore this morning, not
because we doubted your word, but to see that everything was trim and
snug on your island, and they found your house. On my word, quite a
little castle, and well furnished. We didn't disturb a thing. It's
yours, you know."

"I merely inherited it," said Robert. "The slaver and pirate who
kidnapped me built it as a place for a refuge or a holiday, and he came
back here to die. He furnished it partly, and the rest came from his
wrecked ship."

After breakfast Robert went ashore also with the captain and Lanham, and
he showed them about the island. They even saw the old bull at the head
of his herd, and Robert waved him a friendly farewell. The house and its
contents they decided to leave exactly as they were.