“Yes; and you saw him springing at me?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, what then?”
“Only bayonet practice, sir—point from guard, and he came right on it.”
“Yes?”
“Then I held him down, sir.”
I saw Mr Reardon shudder slightly.
“That will do, sentry,” he said shortly. “I will see you another time. Come, Mr Herrick.”
I followed him on deck, and saw him take off his cap and wipe his forehead, but he turned consciously to see if I was looking.
“Rather warm below,” he said drily. “I’d better have kept to my first answer to you, my lad. You see it’s dangerous to go into a wild-beasts’ cage.”