ewen's injuries before asking any more
questions.

"Yes," he said, "I'll wait; but when one is in prison, and can talk to
the prisoners next door, it does seem to do one good."

I had just knelt down to see to Mr Frewen's head, when I heard my name
pronounced again.

"Yes," I cried impatiently, "what is it?"

"Only a word," said Mr Preddle.

"Quick, then."

"You were out on the deck some time, weren't you?"

"Yes; a long time," I replied impatiently. "Why?"

"Could you see how my poor fishes were getting on?"

"No, I couldn't," I said gruffly, for my temper was as sore as my body
just then, and Mr Preddle irritated me; he did seem so girlish and
weak.

"Now, Mr Frewen," I said, "tell me what to do to your head."

"Leave it alone," he said, smiling, "or no, perhaps you had better do
something to it; I shall be better and stronger, and I want all my
strength now."

"To help get back the ship?" I said.

"Yes, of course. Now then, my lad," he continued, "you must think that
you are a surgeon's mate or dresser." I nodded.

"You will not mind?"

"Of course not, sir."

"Then go to that drawer, and you will find scissors, lint, bandages, and
strapping."

I went to the drawer, and there, neatly arranged, were the articles he
had described, in company with many more.

"Now get water, sponge, and towel," he said, and this I did.

"Now go to work and cut away the hair, so that you can see what damage
is done."

"But I'm afraid--"

"What?"

"Of hurting you."

"Then set that aside, boy," he said, smiling. "A surgeon must take all
the care he can, but he must not be afraid of hurting his patient. Go
on."

It was not quite my first surgical experiment, for I had bound up cut
fingers before then, and once roughly tended to the broken arm of a
school-fellow, who had fallen in climbing a tree, though my attention
merely consisted in laying the arm straight and bandaging it with a
woollen comforter, while the doctor was fetched; but all the same I felt
very hot, nervous, and uncomfortable, as, in following out Mr Frewen's
instructions, I cut away the hair, bathed the place, and told him
exactly what I saw, horrible as it was.

"Pooh!" he said, with a little laugh. "A mere scratch. Why, if it were
a patient I was attending--you, for instance--I should say you were
making a miserable fuss about nothing."

"But it is very bad, sir," I said. "Why, you were quite insensible."

"Yes, Dale, that was