e crew, and, going to the storehouse close at hand, he
knocked some of the people up, and saw that they were supplied with plenty
of food and drink. Then he went into his tent. Here the table was spread,
with various kinds of food standing on it. His servant being called up, a
kettle was boiled, and he and Will sat down to a hearty meal.

"Do you know what has been said about us in our absence, Chamfrey?" Nelson
asked his servant.

"No, sir; everything has been upset by this fog. They sent down from the
batteries to enquire where you and Mr. Gilmore were, and we could only say
that we supposed you were on board the ship. They sent from the ships to
ask, and we could only say that we didn't know, but supposed that you were
somewhere up in the batteries. Some thought, when you did not return this
afternoon, that you had lost your way in the fog; but no one seemed to
think that anything serious could have happened to you."

Nelson got up and went to where the boat's crew were sitting after having
finished their meal.

"Coxswain, here are two guineas for yourself and a guinea for each of the
men. Now I want every man of you to keep his mouth tightly shut about what
has happened. I promise you that if any man blabs he will be turned out of
my gig. You understand?"

"Yes, sir," they replied together. "You can trust us to keep our mouths
shut. We will never say a word about it."

"That is a good thing," Nelson remarked when he returned to Will. "If what
has happened came to be known, I should get abused by Lord Hood for having
gone so far away and run so great a risk. Of course, as you and I are
aware, there would have been no risk at all if that fog had not set in and
we had not forgotten to bring a compass. But, you know, a naval man is
supposed to foresee everything, and I should have been blamed just as much
as if I had rowed into the fog on purpose. I should have had all the
captains in the fleet remonstrating with me, and they would be saying: 'I
knew, Nelson, the way you are always running about, that you would get
into some scrape or other one of these days.' A report, indeed, might be
sent to England, enormously magnified, of course, with the headings:
'Captain Nelson lost in a fog!' 'Captain Nelson roasted alive by Corsican
brigands!' I would not have the news get about for five hundred guineas. I
don't suppose my absence was noticed the first day. It was known, of
course, that I went off in my gig; but as I som