It was an officer who spoke, and at his word the men gave another cheer and departed, while Dick, still somewhat overcome at the honour done him, followed the mess servant who had appeared, and went down to a cabin. Here he stripped off his rags, and was invited to pass through a narrow doorway to the bath. When he emerged, dripping and feeling wonderfully fresh, there was the mess servant waiting to give him a rub-down, and to help him to dress, for his shoulders were now excessively stiff, while his knee was very painful. He was, in fact, sore all over. But his joy at being amongst friends was great, and he made light of the pain.
“Mr Hilden’s compliments, sir, and he thinks these garments will be about the size. He hopes you will make use of them.”
The servant, who was one of the marines, held out a suit of white, and Dick gladly availed himself of the clothing. There was a complete change of linen also, and when at length he hobbled from the cabin he was looking spruce and neat again—a clean young Englishman, modest of manner, well grown, and with that air of quiet determination which is so common to young men of our race, and which sat so well on him. No one would have thought that this young fellow had been up-country in a responsible position, and that he had so recently had such a tussle with the natives.
“What shall I do with these?” asked the servant, politely, smothering a smile as he pointed to Dick’s discarded rags.
“Throw them overboard, or burn them, please,” was the smiling answer, “and—er—er—”
“James, sir.”
“Well, James, is there anything—?”
“Breakfast waiting, sir. Yes, sir. This way. The officers are waiting.”
He led the way to the gunroom, and in another minute our hero was limping across the polished boards to where a long table was placed between two of the guns. There were a dozen officers there, more or less, and they at once rose to greet him.
“Glad to see you about again, Stapleton,” said one, who looked as if he were the senior. “Let me introduce my friends. Officers of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, Mr Stapleton; Dick Stapleton, I think.”