at, to hand him the keys that he might release his comrades; after
which he ordered the prisoners, wounded and unwounded, to be passed down
into the boats, which done, the victors pulled away for the galleon.
But they were scarcely alongside when the galley's sweeps were thrust
outboard and the craft was under way again, heading south, with one of
the slaves proudly standing at the tiller and leading an enthusiastic
cheer as the galley swept at speed close under the towering stern of the
galleon.

George's first act, upon returning to the galleon, was to direct Dyer to
take the ship to the spot for which they had been aiming when they were
intercepted by the galley, and anchor her there; then he descended to
the sick bay, to find that under Chichester's skilled hands his brother
had not only been revived from his swoon, but also that his terrible
wounds had been bathed, treated with a soothing and healing ointment,
bound up, and the patient made as comfortable as was possible upon a
swinging pallet which the surgeon had caused to be rigged up in order
that Hubert might not be disturbed by the motion of the ship, and might
lie face down for a few days until the smart had gone out of his wounds
and they had begun to heal.

George was greatly affected at the sight of his brother lying there
stretched out upon the pallet, with his head resting upon a pillow
supported by his arms, and unable to move his body in the least without
suffering excruciating agony. But, terrible as Hubert's plight was, he
still had spirit enough to make light of it when his brother, kneeling
down by the side of the pallet, bent over him and tenderly kissed him on
the brow. He smiled happily up into George's face and, with an effort
that must have been torment to him, freed his right hand and grasped
that of his brother as he murmured:

"You only fired that broadside just in time to save me, old chap.
Another half-minute, and that fiend of a boatswain would have killed me.
I won't ask you now how you happened to find me, that must wait until
you have more time to talk and I more strength to listen; moreover, that
splendid fellow Chichester has been telling me a bit of the story while
he was dressing my wounds. But one thing you must tell me, Georgie.
How is the dear mother?"

The fact that George had nothing but good news to communicate to his
brother seemed to cheer the latter amazingly, and caused him to so far
forget his fearful injuries t