f the boy, for by the most assiduous rubbing with his right hand
while his left was devoted to the hip, he had contrived to besmear his
face all over with the blood which flowed freely from his nose. The
surgeon could find no wound on the face, and it was plain that there was
nothing more terrible about the head than the nosebleed.
"Where are you hurt, Little?" asked the doctor.
"In the hip; it's broke!" replied the sufferer with an explosive groan.
Dr. Winstock laid the patient down upon the deck, and proceeded to
examine him with the greatest care. He declared that no bones were
broken.
"He appears to be suffering great pain," said the principal, anxiously.
"He has probably wrenched a muscle in his fall, and that is almost as
painful as a broken bone. He has received no serious injury," replied
the doctor, as he lifted the patient from the deck.
"I am glad it is no worse. How did it happen, Little?"
"I was coming in from the weather yard-arm, sir. I should have gone down
the leech of the foresail if you had not told me not to, sir. O!" gasped
Little, distorting his face, and doubling up his lithe little body.
"Never mind it now," added the principal, kindly.
"I feel a little better, sir. Mr. Hamblin began to say something to the
fellows on deck, and I stopped to listen. O!"--and Little doubled up
again. "I caught hold of the clew-garnet, sir--O! I was leaning down to
hear what Mr. Hamblin said, and bore my whole weight on the clew-garnet.
It wasn't belayed, sir,--O!--and it let me down."
Mr. Lowington desired to know what hands were stationed at the fore
clew-garnets; but when they appeared, they were very confident they had
belayed these ropes as usual. Little was advised to go below and turn
in; but he preferred to remain on deck. As soon as the principal and the
doctor had gone aft, the young reprobate turned to his companions, put
his thumb to his bloody nose, and wiggled his fingers. Indeed, a
remarkable cure seemed suddenly to have been wrought in his particular
case; for he walked as nimbly as ever, until some of the officers came
forward, when, unfortunately, he had a sudden relapse, from which he did
not recover--when the "powers that be" were around--for several days.
After supper Paul was sent for, and repaired to the main cabin, where he
found the principal, the surgeon, Mr. Hamblin, and several of the
professors. Mr. Lowington stated the charge preferred against Captain
Kendall, ment
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