“Then you don’t think, Murray, that the captain will find much fault with me and my men?”
“He’d be very unreasonable if he did, sir.”
“Hah! You think so, Murray? But he can be rather unreasonable sometimes, Murray, eh?”
“Terribly, sir.”
“Hah! That’s comforting, Murray, for I am very weak. I feel, you see, that I ought to be up and doing now, my lad, and I haven’t the power to stir.”
“Beg pardon, sir,” said Murray, “but now you’re hors de combat am I not leading officer?”
“Certainly, my dear boy, and I tell you that you have done wonders.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Murray, “but I was not fishing for compliments. What I wanted you to say was that I was to take the lead.”
“I say so, then, certainly, my dear sir.”
“Well, then, sir, I say that your duty is to lie still and get better, and that our lads are to do the same.”