“Never! never!” he exclaimed, and pulling his ragged coat tightly round him, he began buttoning it up in a strangely excited manner.
“But, Paganel,” began the Major.
“No, I tell you!”
“I must examine—”
“You shall not examine.”
“You may perhaps have broken—” continued McNabbs.
“Yes,” continued Paganel, getting up on his long legs, “but what I have broken the carpenter can mend.”
“What is it, then?”
“There.”
Bursts of laughter from the crew greeted this speech. Paganel’s friends were quite reassured about him now. They were satisfied that he had come off safe and sound from his adventure with the forecastle gun.