"Ah! You are a lucky fellow," he said.
"Why?" I asked.
"Why? To be in a fight last night and get wounded."
"Oh!" I exclaimed laughing.
"Ah, you may laugh!" he said. "I call it first rate. You're only a
landsman, and get all that luck. It's of no use to you. Why, if it had
been me, of course I am too young for promotion, but it would have been
remembered by and by. I say, tell us all about it."
I told him, and to my surprise I found before long that all the sailors
were listening intently.
"Ah!" exclaimed the middy as I finished; "don't I wish we had all been
there."
"And don't I wish you had all been there!" I said dolefully; "our place
is regularly wrecked."
"Never mind," cried the middy, shaking my hand. "They ar'n't getting
much by it. Hark! How our old girl is pounding away at 'em. I'll be
bound to say that the spars and planks are flying, and--oh, don't I wish
I were there!"