“Got a nasty wound, sir, but it will soon be better,” replied the middy, glancing back at the half-fainting officer.
“Come up, Munday,” cried the latter; and in a few minutes the second lieutenant had forced his way over the barricaded entrance and reached the rooms that now formed the temporary infirmary.
“Very, very glad to have found you at last,” said Mr Munday, shaking hands warmly. “My word, sir, you have had a tremendous fight here!”
“You can report to the captain that I have done my best, Munday, and our lads have fought like heroes.”
“That’s good, sir. I’m sure they have. I wish, though, we had been here.”
“And now you will either get us aboard or send for Mr Reston.”
“I’m sorry to say that I can’t do either,” said the second lieutenant.
“What!” cried the chief officer.
“It has been like this; the captain sent me ashore with a boat’s crew to find you and the rest, and as soon as we were out of sight he was attacked by a couple of schooners.”
“How did you know that?” asked Murray, who had laid his hand upon the chief officer’s lips to keep him from speaking.