"A man," said Ben. He was not a good hand at this sort of thing; he wanted to blurt it all out in his blunt way.
Picton smiled.
"Don't beat about the bush, Ben; you can't do it."
"That's a fact, I can't. You'll stand a shock, Picton, a very great shock."
"Is it tremendous?"
"Yes," said Ben seriously. "The man Brack brought here last night is aboard now; he's asleep in my cabin; he is very ill; he has suffered a lot; he will require a great deal of care. We shall have to be very careful."
Picton looked at him wonderingly. Gradually a light broke in upon him; he turned pale and felt giddy. Ever since the boom of the gun startled him he had had Hector in his mind.
"Was it Hector who escaped?" he asked.
Ben nodded.
"Was it Hector Brack brought to the Sea-mew?"