"As my friend Hickey would put it, we were 'touched,' sir."
The captain threw back his head, laughing heartily.
"That is not a new thing to happen to a sailor. Do you know how it occurred?"
"We can only guess at it, sir. We had been dining with the Spanish ambassador——"
"Dining with the Spanish ambassador?" questioned the captain in well-feigned surprise.
"Yes, sir; did I not tell you about that?"
"No."
"It seems that it was his wife and daughter whom we rescued from the Apaches. We did not know that until some time afterwards. The ambassador invited us to dine with them at the embassy; then later in the evening he told us who the women were that we had rescued."
"Well, I must say you lads are getting on in the world pretty fast."
"Yes, sir; it seems to me that we have not been losing any time."