Tammy stared at me.
"I've heard some of the old shellbacks talking about things," he said.
"But I never took them really seriously."
"Well," I said. "I guess we'll have to take this seriously. I wish to
God we were home!"
"My God! so do I," he said.
For a good while after that, we both worked on in silence; but, presently, he went off on another tack.
"Do you think we'll really shorten her down every night before it gets dark?" he asked.
"Certainly," I replied. "They'll never get the men to go aloft at night, after what's happened."
"But, but—supposing they ordered us aloft—" he began.
"Would you go?" I interrupted.
"No!" he said, emphatically. "I'd jolly well be put in irons first!"