lighted my Jacks would have been to have a go at them!"

"Do you think so?" said my father smiling.

"Think so, sir? Why, my boys have been half mad with disappointment.
Poor fellows! Just about a dozen of you. Well, there's no mistake
about your having made a brave defence, Captain Duncan. Not a man
unhurt. Sir, I'm proud to know you."

"My men behaved better than I did, sir," said my father modestly.

"Oh, of course, sir," cried the lieutenant laughing; "but avast talking.
What can we do for you? I'm here ashore with the lugger and prisoners
till my ship comes back, so what shall we do? You don't want doctoring,
I see?"

"We want covering in first of all, sir," said the doctor, pointing to
the unroofed shed.

"Of course you do," cried the lieutenant; "and all your men wounded.
Here, heave ahead, my lads, and half of you run back to the lugger and
bring up all the spare sails and spars you can get hold of. If there
are no spars bring the sweeps."

"Ay, ay, sir," cried the sailors; and half of them went off at the
double back along the valley, while the others, under the command of
their officer, set to work and shovelled and brushed out all the burnt
charcoal and smouldering wood from the long shed, and then from the
counting-house, and after that they were busy at work cutting ling and
heath with their cutlasses, when the men despatched to the lugger came
back loaded with sails and spars.

At it they went, and in a very short time had rigged up a roof over the
shed for our poor fellows, carried in a quantity of ling, and spread
over that more sail-cloth, making quite a comfortable bed with room for
a dozen men, and ample space for the doctor to go between.

Then, with the tenderness of women, the great bronzed fellows lifted the
wounded men who could not walk, slipped under them a hammock, and one at
each corner carried them in and laid them down.

"There you are, messmates," said the biggest of the men; "now, then, a
quid apiece for you to keep down the pain. Make ready: pockets, 'bacco
boxes," he shouted, and his comrades laughingly obeyed.

"Thank you, my lads, thank you," cried the doctor, going round and
shaking hands with all in turn; "why, it would be a pleasure to have to
do with such men as you. But there, you're safe and sound."

"At present, sir," said the big sailor; "but hark! They're at it
yonder."

We listened and sure enough there was the distant sound of heavy firing
coming