ig fan, and give him all the air
you can?"

He was obeyed to the letter; while Captain Horton and the resident stood
near, ready to help in any way they could, for the news had caused the
deepest concern through out the ship.

"Yah!" cried Private Sim, with an ugly snarl; "there's yer nasty
favouritism. See how they're all a-cuddling and messing that there Gray
up, orficers and women and all. Might ha' died afore they'd ha' done
anything for me."

"Why, you caulking, miching lubber," growled old Dick, "you had ten
times as much trouble 'stowed on you as you deserved. Tell you what, my
lads," he continued, addressing a crowd of soldiers and sailors who had
been discussing the event forward, "it's this here sorter thing as makes
me saddersfied to be a common sailor. Yer orficers may row and bully
yer sometimes for not being smart enough; but I never knowed a orficer
yet as wasn't ready to run the same risks as the men; and when you're
down, Lor' bless my 'art, nothin's too good for you. 'Member the
skipper coming and bringing us horindges, Joe Tomson, when we had the
feckshus fever?"

"Ay, ay, mate," growled a big sun-tanned sailor.

"Right you are, mate," said a big sergeant. "It's just so with us.
I've knowed our officers run out under fire to bring in wounded men, and
get shot down theirselves. You remember Captain Smithers doing that,
out in China, Billy Mustard?"

"That I do," said a fair red-faced private, with a merry look in his
eyes. "He brought me in on his back. I'm waiting to see him down some
day, and carry him in."

"To be sure," growled old Dick. "Orficers is orficers, and there 'aint
one aboard this ship as wouldn't jump overboard to save any man, even if
it was such a grumbling warmint as old Sim here."

Private Sim snarled, and showed a set of yellow teeth, as he held out
the palm of his left hand to give it a severe punch with his right fist;
after which ebullition he seemed to feel much better, and went and
leaned over the side.

"I hope Private Gray will get better," said Billy Mustard, who was a
great favourite with the men from the fact that he was famous as a
fiddler, and could rattle off anything from "Money Musk" up to "The
Triumph;" and as to hornpipes, the somethingth said there wasn't a man
in the service who could touch him. Billy Mustard had won the hearts of
the sailors, too, during the voyage, from the way in which he sang "The
Death of Nelson," with many another nav