"Land of love, Perez!" he ejaculated. "Here you and me have been
sleepin' ha'f the forenoon. We'd ought to be ashamed of ourselves. Let's
git dressed quicker 'n chain lightnin'."

"Dressed?" queried Perez, sitting up in bed. "I should think you was
dressed now, boots and all. What are you talkin' 'bout?"

The Captain glanced down at his clothes and seemed as much surprised as
his friend. He managed to pull himself together, however, and stammered:

"Dressed? Oh, I'm dressed, of course. It's you I'm tryin' to git some
life into."

"Well, why didn't you call a feller, 'stead of gittin' up and dressin'
all by yourself. I never see such a critter. Where's my socks?"

To avoid further perplexing questions Captain Eri went into the dining
room. The table was set, really set, with a clean cloth and dishes that
shone. The knives and forks were arranged by the plates, not piled in a
heap for each man to help himself. The Captain gasped.

"Well, I swan to man!" he said. "Has Jerry had a fit or what's struck
him? I ain't seen him do anything like this for I don't know when."

"Oh, Cap'n Burgess didn't fix the table, if that's what you mean," said
the new nurse. "Cap'n Baxter seemed to be sleepin' or in a stupor like,
and the Doctor, when he come, said I might leave him long enough to run
downstairs for a few minutes, so--"

"The Doctor? Has the Doctor been here this mornin'?"