“Here, some of you give me a hand and help me dress their wounds,” said the Captain’s wife, who was as good as any trained nurse when it came to dressing wounds and looking after the sick. “I’ll go ahead and get warm water, witch hazel and bandages ready, while you carry them down to my stateroom and lay them on the bunk.”
When Stubby came out of his fainting spell, he found himself lying on a bunk beside Button, who had a bandage wrapped around his neck, and smelling strong of witch hazel, besides having several crosses of adhesive plaster on his sides and on the tip of his nose.
“How did we get here and what has happened to us?” he asked.
“What a fool thing for me to faint just when you needed me most!” said Stubby.
“How did you happen to do it?” asked Button.
“I turned my broken leg the wrong way, and over I went.”
“But who helped you in the end? Did some of those men come to your rescue? I should think they would have helped you before and not stood there and see that monster rat biting you with its poisonous teeth.”
“No, Billy came to my help as usual. He forgot he was in hiding and jumped in and ran his horn straight through the rat, which made it let go my throat, as he had killed it instantly. I never met such a big rat before or one with such long, sharp teeth. When it cried, its voice sounded like a baby’s. I shall be all right soon as the Captain’s wife has fixed me up fine so the poison from the rat’s teeth won’t hurt me. As it turned out, this fight was the best thing that could have happened, for since they read our medals, every one is as keen on keeping us on board as we are in staying. They have found out who we are, and are now looking out for the reward. But they intend to take us along with them to the coast and on their return will hand us over to our respective regiments and claim the money.”
“How did they know there is a reward offered for us?”