“And that time when you led a storming party against the fort in South America, and was the only one left o’ the party, and fought your way all alone in through the breach till the troops came up and carried you on with a rush, and—and—was all about that untrue?”
“Not a bit of it, Billie, though I wouldn’t have you think I was boastin’ about it. I only gave you the bare facts, which, like bare poles, is as much as a ship can stand sometimes.”
“An’ that time you jumped overboard in Port Royal among the sharks to save the little girl?”
“That’s a fact, if ever there was one,” said the seaman quickly, “for the dear child is alive this good day to swear to it if need be.”
“Yet you tell me,” continued Little Bill, “that you have not the courage to ask a nice little girl to marry you?”
“That’s exactly how the matter stands, Billie.”
It was now Billie’s turn to look perplexed.
“Who is this nice little girl?” he asked abruptly, as if the answer to that question might help to explain the enigma.
“Well—it’s Elise Morel; an’, mind, not a soul knows about that but you an’ me, Little Bill.”
“But—but Elise is not a little girl. She’s a big woman!”