As the firing died out Dave glanced down at his sleeve.
"Off with your blouse!" spoke the lieutenant, in a tone of command.
Riley helped to remove the blouse, meanwhile explaining:
"We didn't crawl all the way to you, sir. We ran until we got into a hail of bullets from our own messmates. Then, sir, that we might reach you, we threw ourselves down and crawled a few yards."
"Riley," declared Dave, heartily, "you're as good a man as there is in the United States Navy!"
Whereat the petty officer fairly blushed with pride.
"All our men are so good," added Trent, genially, "that it's a difficult task to pick the best."
The surviving bandits had fled. Trent's orders forbade pursuing beyond the house. So, while Riley and Dave were examining the deep wound in the latter's forearm, Trent gave orders to bury the dead in shallow graves and to pick up the wounded for removal to Vera Cruz.
Immediately upon returning to the advanced line Dave was ordered back to the "Long Island" for prompt surgical treatment. Though his wound was not dangerous, in itself, the climate of Vera Cruz is one in which there is the gravest danger of blood-poisoning setting in in any wound.
The day after that, duty on shore being lighter, and officers being needed aboard, Danny Grin was ordered back to ship duty, while Lieutenant Trent remained ashore with his detachment.