Guests of the island

From the very morning, the sky over the sea was gray and impenetrable. Heavy clouds covered it with a continuous canopy to the very horizon. It was drizzling with a tedious rain, driven by gusts of the cold north wind, and people did not want to get out of the cozy cabin unnecessarily. It seemed that in such weather one should not wait for guests: hardly anyone of their own free will would go out to sea this morning. But Ratibor was a man of his word, and closer to noon the watchman on the schooner announced the approaching sloop. Due to poor visibility, it was impossible to distinguish his flag, but the ship was heading towards them.

“They should be our own,” Stajan reassured the worried boatswain who burst into the cabin. - Greet guests as brothers in arms. They helped us to buy a schooner, now it's our turn to answer them kindly for kindness.