The Young Rajah | Page 5

down into her to ascertain if the lads had been saved.
"All right; we have them safe!" at length cried a voice from the boat.
"They are saved! They are saved!" was echoed along the deck; and
even the most phlegmatic of the passengers shook each other's hands,
and expressed their satisfaction; while several of the ladies burst into
tears,--as did one of the officers, as gallant a young fellow as ever lived.
Violet darted forward, followed by the colonel, as Reginald was hoisted
on deck. Though evidently exhausted, he was able to stand leaning on
the shoulder of honest Dick Thuddichum, a seaman who had gone off
in the boat, and had assisted him up the side. (Dick ought before to
have been introduced. He was a fine specimen of a sailor, with his
broad shoulders and big bushy beard and whiskers. He had come on
board with the young officer, and, judging by the eager way in which
he had leaped into the boat going off to his rescue, was attached to him
with no ordinary attachment.) Violet stopped short as she got close to
Reginald, for already he was surrounded by most of the officers and
passengers, eager to shake him by the hand and compliment him on his
intrepidity. Reginald saw her, and would have sprung forward, when,
just as she had faintly murmured an expression of thankfulness, her
father came up in time to save her, overcome by her feelings, from
sinking on the deck. He then, after heartily congratulating Reginald, led

his daughter into the cabin.
"Though I am thankful that the young man has been saved, I may have
cause to regret that we have met him, if you allow too great an
admiration of his gallantry and personal qualities to take possession of
your heart," remarked the colonel. "Be cautious in future. We know
nothing of his birth or position; and, attractive as are his manners, he
may be merely an unprincipled adventurer--though I hope I should
wrong him by thinking so. Now lie down and rest, for it may be better
not to appear at the tea-table."
Violet promised to do as her father advised; but before throwing herself
on her bed, she knelt down and poured out her grateful thanks to
Heaven for Reginald's preservation.
The latter, meanwhile, nearly overwhelmed with compliments and
congratulations, had been led by the doctor to his berth.
"Come, come, Mr Hamerton," said the medico; "I have looked after
young Andrews, and I must now see to you. You may think yourself
made of iron, but the human frame cannot endure the strain you have
put on it without reaction; and we shall have you on the sick-list
to-morrow, unless you take due precautions."
An unwonted sensation of weakness warned Reginald that the doctor
was right; and following his advice, he turned in--inclined to be
obedient also for the sake of avoiding the further compliments he felt
sure the ladies would be disposed to pay him. The only gentleman who
had not spoken to him was Captain Hawkesford, who had turned away
when he saw that he was safe, uttering an expression of bitter
ill-feeling.
"She will think more of the fellow than ever," he muttered. "Would that
he were fathoms deep beneath the water!"
Thanks to the doctor's care, Reginald by the next morning was quite
himself again; and as soon as he appeared on deck, young Andrews,
who had also recovered, came to him and thanked him with hearty

expressions of gratitude for saving his life.
"If it had not been for you, I should very soon have gone down. My
great wish now is to serve you as long as I live; and I only hope that I
may have the opportunity of doing so," he exclaimed.
"I only did for you what I would have done for any other man or boy,"
said Reginald; "but at the same time I shall be glad of your friendship,
for, whatever our respective positions, we may be able to help each
other."
Reginald, it must be confessed, looked with more than usual eagerness
for the appearance of Violet, who had not yet come on deck--scarcely
heeding the compliments he received from the other ladies, or being
able to give any very clear answers to the numerous questions put to
him about his gallant exploit, as they were pleased to call it. He did his
best, however, to explain how, after having succeeded in reaching
young Andrews, he had towed him to the hen-coop, to which he held
him fast till the arrival of the boat.
"Yes, it was trying," he added; "but I never lost hope. My great fear
was that the lad would sink from exhaustion, though I felt capable of
holding on till the