“I’ll have everything ready for your feast, major,” said the captain sadly.
“Hold up, man, and don’t talk as if you had lost a half-sovereign, or, worse still, your ship. Keep a good heart, as I do. Sure, captain, haven’t I got my two darlings on board—and do you think I don’t love them?” he added in a whisper.
The captain’s answer was a firm grip of the hand extended to him in the dark.
“That’s it, my boy,” whispered the major. “Now, next time you speak try and forget you are wounded, if you can, and say things cheerily. It puts heart in your men and yourself too. That’s the beauty of being a soldier, sir. He isn’t often called upon to fight; but when he does he has to take his wounds pleasantly, and set an example to his men by dying with a smile on his lip and a laugh in his eye.”
Meanwhile Mr Gregory had got out the tool-drawer from his chest, and was busily attacking the lath which kept in place the sliding-door of his cabin.
It was a toughish task, but with Small and Widgeon for his helpmates he soon had it off, and before long the two sailors were holding it crosswise over the saloon sky-light, while Mr Gregory rapidly secured it in its place with screws.
Another and another was fitted up in a similar way, and all so silently that very little was heard beyond the heavy breathing of the first-mate as he drove the screws home.
“There, major!” he whispered; “those doors are not very strong, but wherever they drive through a hole we can put a gun to that place as easily as they can.”
“And better, too,” said the major. “Now, then, as soon as you get a couple more cabin-doors off, we’ll move away these boxes and things the captain has clapped here, and you shall screw up your barricade.”
“I’ll soon be ready,” said the mate; and he kept his word; while, as soon as he had let his two men lift out the second door, the major brought up the reserve, as he called it, the chests piled against the door by the captain, Mrs Strong, and the major’s wife, were lifted over, and in an incredibly short time the opening, with the door bolted, was covered breast-high with the other doors, which were securely fastened, and the chests were once more piled up in their places.