"Do you fear, too, Captain?"
The Captain hesitated, and I was abashed at my boldness. I knew that his silence was rebuke.
"I will tell you how I feel, Jones, since you permit me to speak of myself," he said at last; "I feel that life is valuable, and not to be thrown away lightly. I want to live and not die; neither do I like the thought of being maimed for life. Death and wounds are very distasteful to me. I feel that my body is averse to exposing itself to pain; I fear pain; I fear death, but I do not fear fear. I do not think the fear of death is unmanly, for it is human. Those who do not fear death do not love life. Please tell me if you love life."
"I do not know, Captain; I suppose I do."
"Do you fear death?"
"What I fear now is cowardice. I suppose that if I were indifferent to death I should have no fear of being afraid."
"I am sure that you kept your presence of mind the other day, in the swamp," said he.
"I don't think I had great fear."
"Yet you were in danger there."
"Very little, I think, Captain."