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They stood talking together for a minute or two; and then Captain Bentinck, glancing up at me, hailed. "Mr Grenvile," said he, "I am about to send this glass up to you by means of the signal halyards.
The boatswain was a long time getting the bearing to his satisfaction, for the little vessel was leaping and plunging most furiously, and the compass-card was none too steady in the bowl; but at length he stepped back from the binnacle with an air of triumph, exclaiming: "There, Mr Grenvile, what d'ye make of that, sir?"
The fact is, Mr Grenvile, that these here shallow, beamy craft ain't intended to sail on their sides; bury 'em below their sheer-strake and they begins to drag and to sag at once. We're doin' quite as well as can be reasonably expected in such a sea as this, as is proved by the way that we're keepin' pace with the commodore.
"Deck ahoy!" hailed I. "The two strange sail to leeward have this instant put up their helms, and are running square off before the wind; they are also rigging out their studding-sail booms on both sides." "Thank you, Mr Grenvile," replied the skipper. "How do they bear from us now?" "About four points before the beam, sir," answered I. "Very good.
"Six bells, Mistah Grenvile, sah; and here is your coffee," announced San Domingo, as he stood balancing the cup and saucer in his hand and swaying to the still lively movements of the schooner, although it struck me at once that she was not nearly so lively in her motions as she had been when I turned in at midnight.
And, as I touched my hat and retired, he led the way below, closely followed by the general. "Well, Grenvile, here you are," exclaimed Morgan, as I entered his cabin. "I have been expecting you, for I saw you come up the side. What is the extent of the damage, and what have you done with the Dolores? Which is the worse, your shoulder or your head? Shoulder, eh?
Lay aft, here, to the main braces, some of you, and stand by to back the mainyard! Down helm, my man, and let her come to the wind!" At this moment Sir Thomas came up to me and said: "Grenvile, my lad, come down on to the main-deck with me a moment, will you? I have a word or two that I should like to say to your men before they leave the ship."
"Because," she answered, "when you were brought ashore yesterday, Captain Ricardo sent for me, and said: `This young fellow is Dick Grenvile, the son of a once very dear friend of mine; and I want you, Lotta, and Mammy, to do your utmost to nurse him back to health and strength again."
"I wish I could feel as sure of it as you do, my boy ay, I wish I could feel as sure of it as I am that you will get your commission for get it you shall, if anything I can say will help you to it. And that reminds me, Grenvile, that I wish to say how perfectly satisfied and highly pleased I have been with your conduct and gallantry in this affair.
From the surgeon's cabin I made my way to the midshipmen's berth, where I received as boisterously hearty a welcome as mid could desire; but I had been there scarcely five minutes when San Domingo, who had already installed himself in his former berth, popped his head in at the door and said, with a broad grin: "Mistah Grenvile, sah, de first leptenant wishes to see you on deck, sah."
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