get Belton to give you
your gruel. You nasty great coward, you've got it at last."

"Don't you be a coward," said Syd, sharply. "Now, Mr Terry, I'm very
sorry: shake hands."

"Here, one of you take that basin and sponge away from Jenks," said
Terry, getting up painfully. "He wouldn't have done this if I hadn't
hurt one of my arms."

"Well, if I was licked fair like that, I would own to it," said Bolton.
"It was fair, wasn't it, Roy?"

"As fair as a fight could be," was the reply.

"Yes," said Barney, thrusting in his head, "that was as fair as could
be, Master Syd."

"What you, Barney!"

"Bo'sun, sir. I wouldn't interrupt you afore, 'cause I knowed you
wouldn't like it, but the captain wants to see you."

"What!" cried Sydney, as he clapped his hands to his swollen nose and
lips. "Wants to see me?"

"Soon as ever he's done his braxfass, sir."

"Oh, what shall I do?" cried Syd.

"Dunno, sir," said the boatswain, grinning, "unless you sends word
you're sea-sick, for you do look bad."

"No, no, I can't do that."

"Oh, I dunno, sir," said the boatswain, chuckling. "You was sea-sick
months before you joined your ship, so I don't see why you shouldn't be
now. My Panny-mar's got it too. Took bad last night."

"What, has he been fighting?"

"Didn't ask him, sir; but he can't see out of his eyes, and when I asked
him how he felt, he grinned like all on one side."

"I heard there was a fight with a new boy," piped out Jenkins. "Had it
out with Monkey Bill and licked him. Was that your boy, bo'sun?"

"That's him, sir. We all comes of a fighting breed; him and me and the
cap'en and Master Syd here. Skipper's awful, and I shall be sorry for
the Frenchies and Spanles as he tackles. Well, Master Syd, what am I to
tell the captain's sarvant 'bout you?"

"Go and ask to see the captain," said Syd, firmly, "and tell him that I
have been having a fight, and am not fit to come."

"Hear that?" said the boatswain, looking proudly round--"hear that,
young gen'lemen? That's Bri'sh bull-dog, that is. What do you think of
your messmate now?"

The middies gave a cheer, and crowded round Syd as Terry bent over the
locker to bathe his swollen face, and he looked up once, but did not say
a word.

"Some says fighting among boys is a bad thing," muttered the boatswain,
as he went on deck, "and I don't approve of it. But when one chap
bullies all the rest, same as when one country begins to wallop all the
ot