"Hold on," interposed Dr. Trendon authoritatively. "What's his name?" he
inquired of the journalist.

"Darrow," replied the latter. "Percy Darrow. Do you know him?"

"Who in Kamschatka is Percy Darrow?" demanded Forsythe.

"Why, he's the assistant." It's a long story----"

"Of course, it's a long story. There's a lot we want to know,"
interrupted Captain Parkinson. "Quartermaster, head for the volcano
yonder. Mr. Slade, we want to know where you came from; and why you left
the schooner, and who Percy Darrow is. And there's dinner, so we'll just
adjourn to the messroom and hear what you can tell us. But there's one
thing we're all anxious to know; how came you in the dory which we found
and left on the _Laughing Lass_ no later than two days ago?"

"I haven't set eyes on the _Laughing Lass_ for--well, I don't know
how long, but it's five days anyway, perhaps more," replied Slade.

They stared at him incredulously.

"Oh, I see!" he burst out suddenly; "there were twin dories on the
schooner. The other one's still there, I suppose. Did you find her on the
stern davits?"

"Yes."

"That's it, then. You see when I left----"