“Why? What for?” I cried, with a catching of the breath which made me raise my hand to my breast.
“’Cause we’re all so jolly together now, sir. You’ll like it same as me and my mates do. Jyne us, sir.”
“All right,” I said, “if—”
“If what?” said Jarette, sharply.
“If you rouse up the doctor and make him tend to me, for I’m afraid I’ve got some broken ribs.”
“Good! We will,” cried Jarette, but to my astonishment Walters suddenly roared out—
“No; don’t trust him. He is a traitor, and he would only play the spy.”
With a good deal of effort I raised myself upon one arm and looked him full in the face, for the pain I suffered and his words roused up in me a furious burst of temper.
“Traitor! sham!” I cried. “You ought to be hung for turning against your captain as you did.”
“Don’t trust him, Jarette; he’d only betray us.”