"I understood him to ask for brandy, my lord—for the corpse in the boat."
"What! is there a corpse in the boat?"
"O yes, my lord—a nice little bit of a corpse. But whether the two young gents killed him and are bringing him off to your lordship for a present, as I ave known done in the Caribbees, or whether they dug him up and took him aboard for ballast, only the young gents know."
Those strange eyes dwelt upon the lad sardonically. One thing was plain.
Mr. Dark was amusing himself.
Nelson seemed not to hear him.
"Who are you?" rounding on the boy.
"I'm of the same Service as yourself, my lord," replied Kit, white as ice. "A midshipman. My name is Caryll."
"What ship?"
"The Tremendous, my lord."
"The Tremendous! let's see. What do I know of the Tremendous?"