When the latter was well enough to speak, the first question he asked was whether Granby had survived the attack on the day of the ambush.
"Why, certainly," said the doctor. "He was slightly wounded, but nothing to matter. He has been nursing you till yesterday, and nursing you very well too!"
Noel shut his eyes and was silent. When he reopened them two hours later, "Did you say Granby nursed me?" he asked, and the doctor replied that he had said so.
"Dear old chap!" murmured Noel.
While his brother slept, Granby came in to see how he progressed, and sat and watched the sick man. Once Noel opened his eyes and caught him in the act of departing.
"Granby!" said Noel in his weak voice; but Granby either did not or pretended that he did not hear.
After this he came no more to look after Noel.
But when Noel was able to come into the gunroom, a few days later, he said to Granby in the presence of all the midshipmen,—
"Granby, old man, I want to tell you before every one present how grateful I am for all you did for me when the niggers knocked me over that day. I—"
"You were saying we were likely to renew the attack in a few days, weren't you, Chambers?" said Granby. "It's about time we did something to take down that Kom-Kom fellow's impertinence, besides peppering them from the ship. I don't know why we've waited so long."