“Y-y-yes, sir, I am,” stammered Dicky, expecting the next moment to be put in double irons and carried to headquarters.
“Then,” said the corporal, “you’re to come aboard the Diomede frigate with me to sing for the officers at a big jollification they’re havin’ to-night, and you wash your face and comb your hair and put on your best jacket.”
This sounded reassuring, and Dicky proceeded to make his toilet with his mother’s help. The marine meanwhile entered into conversation with Jack Bell in the kitchen.
“Seems to me,” said the corporal, “I’ve seen you at Gibralty on the old Colossus ’long about ’70.”
“Gibralty? Gibralty?” meditatively replied Jack Bell. “Now where in the world is Gibralty?”
“Come,” said the marine, laughing, “we knows all about you—and it was a deuced lucky thing for you that you saved that officer’s life. Men has been shot for deserters afore this.”
“Now you’re jokin’!” exclaimed Jack earnestly; “you marines is allust pullin’ a leg with we poor sailor men, and we never knows when you’re jokin’ and when you ain’t. Gibralty—ain’t that somewheres nigh to the Arches of Pelago, close by Villy Franky?”
“You’ve got it uncommon mixed up, but I reckon you know more ’n you’d let on,” answered the marine, still laughing. And Dicky’s toilet being completed by that time, the marine rose to go.
“Don’t you worrit about this ’ere youngster, ma’am,” he said politely to the Widow Stubbs. “He’s just a-goin’ to sing to the officers after dinner, and I’ll fetch him home before ten o’clock.” With which the marine walked out, with Dicky trudging after him. They soon made the boat and were pulled to the Diomede.
The marine took him to the fok’sle, Dicky staring with all his might at everything he saw. In a few minutes an orderly appeared from the ward room, and Dicky followed him aft.