"What do I mean? Is English not your mother tongue, or do you want
me to repeat it in French, by way of making it clearer? Don't you
remember - "

"I remember nothing," said I, interrupting him, "after we were
thrown into the sea."

"Hush, Peterkin," said Jack, "you're exciting Ralph with your
nonsense. I'll explain it to you. You recollect that after the
ship struck, we three sprang over the bow into the sea; well, I
noticed that the oar struck your head and gave you that cut on the
brow, which nearly stunned you, so that you grasped Peterkin round
the neck without knowing apparently what you were about. In doing
so you pushed the telescope, - which you clung to as if it had been
your life, - against Peterkin's mouth - "

"Pushed it against his mouth!" interrupted Peterkin, "say crammed
it down his throat. Why, there's a distinct mark of the brass rim
on the back of my gullet at this moment!"

"Well, well, be that as it may," continued Jack, "you clung to him,
Ralph, till I feared you really would choke him; but I saw that he
had a good hold of the oar, so I exerted myself to the utmost to
push you towards the shore, which we luckily reached without much
trouble, for the water inside the reef is quite calm."

"But the captain and crew, what of them?" I inquired anxiously.

Jack shook his head.