But the admiral went aft and interviewed Mr. Simpson.
"May I have the honour of speaking to you, sir?" he said, and Simpson gasped a little, but said he might have that honour.
"Well, sir," said Sir Richard Dunn, "I don't know how I got here, but here I am, and I'm willing to waive the question of my being a British admiral, as I can't prove it."
"That's right," said Simpson. "Ah, I'll have you sane enough by-and-by, my man."
The admiral nodded.
"But I wish to have your permission to knock the head off a man called Knight for'ard. It was always my custom, sir, to allow fights on board my own ship when I considered them necessary. But I always insisted on my permission being asked. Have I yours, sir?"
Simpson looked the admiral up and down.
"Your ship, eh? You're still crazy, I'm afraid. But Knight can kill you, my man."
"I'm willing to let him try, sir," said the admiral. "He hove a pannikin of tea over me just now, and I think a thrashing would do him good and conduce to the peace and order of the foc'sle."
"Oh, you think so," said Simpson. "Very well, you have my permission to introduce peace there."