The way in which the adults and the children reacted when faced with danger was quite on the expected lines. The narrator himself was the captain of the boat. He took all precautions to encounter the gigantic waves. To slow down the boat, the storm jib was drawn. Oilskins and life jackets were put on. Larry and Herb were pumping water out like madmen. The narrator went to see the children in their cabin. He asked : “Are you all right ?” “Yes”, they answered. Sue had a big bump above her eyes. But the narrator had no time to ‘worry about bumped heads’. Mary’s reaction was also quite normal. “We’re sinking !” she screamed. That evening the narrator and Mary sat together holding their hands. Both of them felt that the end was very near.

The children reacted quite boldly. When the narrator went in to comfort the children, Jon asked, “Daddy, are we going to die ?” The narrator tried to assure them that they would succeed. Jon declared : “We aren’t afraid to die if we can all be together—you and Mummy, Sue and I”. The children were excited when the island was sighted. Jonathan wanted to hug his father. He called him “he best daddy in the whole world—and the best captain” They were naturally excited and elated in the end.