"That will do, sentry," he said shortly. "I will see you another time.
Come, Mr Herrick."
I followed him on deck, and saw him take off his cap and wipe his
forehead, but he turned consciously to see if I was looking.
"Rather warm below," he said drily. "I'd better have kept to my first
answer to you, my lad. You see it's dangerous to go into a wild-beasts'
cage."
"Yes, sir, I'm very sorry," I said; then, anxiously, "But you are sure
you are not hurt, sir?"
"Tut, tut! I told you no, boy. There, there, I don't mean that. Not
even scratched, Mr Herrick. You can go to your messmates now with an
adventure to tell them," he added, smiling; "only don't dress it up into
a highly-coloured story, about how your superior officer relaxed the
strict rules of dishipline; do you hear?"
"Yes, sir, I hear," I said, and I left him going to join the captain,
while I went down and told Barkins what had been going on, but I had not
been talking to him five minutes before I heard a heavy splash as if
something had been thrown over the side.
"What's that?" said Barkins, turning pale.