Sir Thomas Baker, one of the passengers aboard the _Indian Queen_, who
has expressed a desire to have some conversation with you."

"Very pleased to make your acquaintance, Sir Thomas," remarked the
skipper, exchanging salutes with the general, and then offering his
hand. "Perhaps you will do me the favour to step below to my cabin with
me, and we can then have a chat together. Meanwhile, Mr Grenvile, if
one may judge from your appearance, the sooner you report yourself to
the surgeon the better it will be for you." And, as I touched my hat
and retired, he led the way below, closely followed by the general.

"Well, Grenvile, here you are," exclaimed Morgan, as I entered his
cabin. "I have been expecting you, for I saw you come up the side.
What is the extent of the damage, and what have you done with the
_Dolores_? Which is the worse, your shoulder or your head? Shoulder,
eh? Well, let me help you off with your jacket and shirt. Easy does
it! There, now sit down in that chair and make yourself comfortable,
while I cooper you up. Have they a surgeon aboard that ship? This
shoulder of yours appears to have been attended to very passably. Now,
spin your yarn while I give you an overhaul."

I gave a brief account of myself and of what had befallen us since
leaving the _Shark_, while Morgan patched me up, and his work and my
yarn came to an end about the same time.

"Well," said he, as I rose to leave the cabin, "I don't think the
skipper will have much fault to find with you when he hears your story.
You couldn't help the loss of the schooner, and, upon the other hand,
there seems to be very little doubt that you saved the _Indian Queen_
from destruction, and her passengers and crew from a very terrible fate.
I expect that jolly old buffer, General what's-his-name, has come
aboard with the express purpose of making a confidential report to the
skipper upon your conduct, and if his story at all bears out your own it
ought to do you some good. Now, I'm going to put you on the sick list
for a day or two; you have been worked quite hard enough of late, and
wounded too. You must take care of yourself for a little while. You
need not stay below, you know, but you must not go on duty, for you are
not fit for it; that shoulder of yours needs looking after, or it will
give you a good deal of trouble. Come to me again at eight bells this
afternoon."

From the surgeon's cabin I made my way to the midshipmen's ber