The old man paused, breathing deep.
"Ten minutes a'terwards he was dying acrost my knees on the spar-deck of the Don.
"'Has she struck, Bill?' he whispers, coughing….
"'The three decker's struck, sir,' says I, 'and the four-decker's strikin.'
"He shuts his eyes.
"'Then I can depart in peace,' he sighs. 'Tell Marjory I done my duty.'
"And he up and died."
There was a cough in the darkness.
"So I calls a cutter away, and rowed aboord the San Josef, the men blubberin like a pack o babbies, to break it to Nelson. Like twins, them two, Nelson and your father: that like, ye see!
"Well, there was the Commodore on the Don's quarter-deck, Berry beside him, the Spanish Captain afoor him, and behind him a British Jack-Tar tuckin the Spaniards' swords under his arm like so many umberellas.