"Nothin', sir," ses Bill, 'umbly; "it was done to us."
The carpenter, who was just going to cooper up a cask which 'ad started a bit, shook like a leaf, and give Bill a look that would ha' melted a stone.
"Who did it?" ses the skipper.
"We've been the wictims of a cruel outrage, sir," ses Bill, doing all 'e could to avoid the mate's eye, which wouldn't be avoided.
"So I should think," ses the skipper. "You've been knocked about, too."
"Yessir," ses Bill, very respectful; "me and Bob was ashore last night, sir, just for a quiet look round, when we was set on to by five furriners."
"What?" ses the skipper; and I won't repeat what the mate said.
"We fought 'em as long as we could, sir," ses Bill, "then we was both knocked senseless, and when we came to ourselves we was messed up like this 'ere."
"What sort o' men were they?" asked the skipper, getting excited.
"Sailor-men, sir," ses Bob, putting in his spoke. "Dutchies or Germans, or something o' that sort."