e on deck was the mate, an' a pretty sight
he was. He'd got a bandage round 'is left eye, and a black ring round
the other. His nose was swelled and his lip cut, but the other officers
were making sich a fuss over 'im, that I think he rather gloried in it
than otherwise.

"'Where's them other two 'ands?' he ses, by and by, glaring out of 'is
black eye.

"'Down below, sir, I b'lieve,' ses the carpenter, all of a tremble.

"'Go an' send 'em up,' ses the mate to Smith.

"'Yessir,' ses Joe, without moving.

"'Well, go on then,' roars the mate.

"'They ain't over and above well, sir, this morning,' ses Joe.

"'Send 'em up, confound you,' ses the mate, limping towards 'im.

"Well, Joe give 'is shoulders a 'elpless sort o' shrug and walked
forward and bawled down the fo'c's'le.

"'They're coming, sir,' he ses, walking bade to the mate just as the
skipper came out of 'is cabin.

"We all went on with our work as 'ard as we knew 'ow. The skipper was
talking to the mate about 'is injuries, and saying unkind things about
Germans, when he give a sort of a shout and staggered back staring.
We just looked round, and there was them two blackamoors coming slowly
towards us.

"'Good heavens, Mr. Fingall,' ses the old man. 'What's this?'

"I never see sich a look on any man's face as I saw on the mate's then.
Three times 'e opened 'is mouth to speak, and shut it agin without
saying anything. The veins on 'is forehead swelled up tremendous and 'is
cheeks was all blown out purple.

"That's Bill Cousins's hair,' ses the skipper to himself. 'It's Bill
Cousins's hair. It's Bill Cous--'

"Bob walked up to him, with Bill lagging a little way behind, and then
he stops just in front of 'im and fetches up a sort o' little smile.

"'Don't you make those faces at me, sir?' roars the skipper. 'What do
you mean by it? What have you been doing to yourselves?'

"'Nothin', sir,' ses Bill, 'umbly; 'it was done to us.'

"The carpenter, who was just going to cooper up a cask which 'ad started
a bit, shook like a leaf, and gave Bill a look that would ha' melted a
stone.

"'Who did it?' ses the skipper.

"'We've been the wictims of a cruel outrage, sir,' ses Bill, doing all
'e could to avoid the mate's eye, which wouldn't be avoided.

"'So I should think,' ses the skipper. 'You've been knocked about, too.'

"'Yessir,' ses Bill, very respectful; 'me and Bob was ashore last
night, sir, just for a quiet look round, when we was set on to