r--this here one--and couldn't get your little dumpy things right
round it; and you know me, sir, I wouldn't say a word to praise you as I
didn't mean."

"Oh, I don't know, Strake."

"Then you may know, sir; I wouldn't--theer! And I says to you now as a
honest man as never took nothin' worse than one o' them yaller gummy
plums off the wall--them as crack right open like wide mouths, and seems
to be putting out their stones at you laughin' like, and sayin', eat me
if you dare. Well, sir, I say as a honest man, if ever I'm wounded I
don't want no surgeon but you."

"Oh, nonsense, man! There'll be a long serious time yet when he wants
the surgeon's attention."

"Not him, sir. No: we'll do all that."

"I hope so, Strake. But now we are alone, tell me what I am to do
to-morrow."

"Just what you like, sir. If it was me I should mast-head Master Terry,
if he come any of his games."

"Without a mast-head?"

"No, sir; you'll have to set up one o' them spars, the one with the
little truck for the halliards right a top o' the highest pynte, to fly
the Bri'sh colours, and you can send him there."

"But about this place, and men?"

"Oh, I dunno, sir. If it was me I should set the lads to level the
gun-platforms a bit, and some o' the others to build up two or three
walls with the loose rocks for us to roof in. One for the men, one for
the orficers, and one for the stores."

"Yes, I thought of doing that."

"Why, of course you did, sir. And then you could give the men some
gun-drill, and arter that wait till the enemy comes."

"Yes, and when the enemy comes?"

"Send him back with a flea in his ear. No room for no Frenchies here."

"I hope they won't come," said Syd, half to himself.

"Now, now, now, sir; no yarns to an old sailor," said the boatswain,
chuckling. "I can believe a deal, but I can't believe that."

"Don't talk nonsense, Strake. Look here, is there anything else to be
done?"

"Well, sir, it seems to me, going over it all as I have been, that
you've been thinking that we've got our prog here, and some water, and
not enough of it till the frigate comes back, so that you might put the
lads on 'lowance so as to make sure."

"Ah, I had not thought of that."

"Beggin' your pardon, sir, you had, only it hadn't come up yet. That
there was a thing to be thought on by a commanding orficer, and course
you thought on it, on'y talking to me promiskus like you forgetted it.
Then there's another