As Syd entered the place he was startled by the change visible in the
young lieutenant, and his heart smote him as, forgetting the long nights
of watching and his constant attention to the injured man, he felt that
he had forgotten him and his urgent duties and responsibilities to go
amusing himself by fishing off the rocks.
"Ah, Belton!" greeted him; "I am glad you have come."
"Why?" thought Syd, with a feeling of horror chilling him--"why is he
glad I've come?" and something seemed to whisper--"is it the end?"
"I'm afraid I am impatient; my leg hurts, and I've been asleep and
dreaming since you dressed it so cleverly yesterday."
"Dressed it yesterday!" faltered Syd, as he recalled the days and nights
of anxiety passed since the injury.
"Yes; you thought I was insensible, but I heard everything," said the
lieutenant, slowly. "I saw everything; felt everything."
"You knew when I dressed it yesterday, with the boy standing here?"
"No, no; out yonder below the place where that wretched gun was to be
mounted, and the sun came down so hot."
Syd laid his hand upon the young officer's brow, but it was quite cool.
"I am terribly weak, but I don't feel feverish, as so many men are when
they are wounded. I suppose I bled a great deal."
"Terribly; but don't--don't talk about it now."
"But I want to talk about it a bit; and then I am hungry, but I don't
feel as if I could eat salt meat."
"A little fish?" said Syd, eagerly.
"Ah! the very thing."
"Wait a minute," cried Syd, and running out, he gave orders to one of
the men for one of the fish to be cooked for the invalid.
"Fish, eh?" said Mr Dallas, when Syd returned.
"Yes, sir; I've been--we've been fishing this morning, and caught a good
many."
"That's right, but the men must not idle; I want to give some
instructions to you about getting up that gun."
"Hadn't you better lie still and let me talk to you?" said Syd, smiling.
"No, my boy; I must not give up, in spite of being weak. It was very
unfortunate--my accident yesterday. It was yesterday, wasn't it--not
to-day?"
"No; not to-day."
"Of course not; I've been asleep, and had terribly feverish dreams. But
business, my dear boy. First of all, though, let me thank you for your
clever doctoring."
"Oh, don't talk about it, sir," said Sydney, quickly.
"But I must talk about it. How did you learn so much?"
Syd told him.
"A most fortunate thing for me, Belton; I should have bled to death.
But now about that gun. Call the bo'sun, and I'll have it up at once;
it is an urgent matter."
"It is up, sir."
"What!--How did you manage it?"
"The boatswain had it packed in a cask, and it was rolled up."
"Excellent! How quick you have been! The other must be got up too, the
same way."
"They are both up, Mr Dallas."
The lieutenant stared.
"Is this some trick?" he said, excitedly; "a plan to keep me quiet?--
because if so, Belton, it is a mistake. It makes me anxious about the
captain's plans."
"Don't be anxious, Mr Dallas. I did not like to tell you at first, for
fear it should trouble you. Don't you understand that you have been
lying here for many days and nights, quite off your head?"
"No!"
"And we thought you would die; but--but--" cried Belton, in a choking
voice, "you are getting better, and know me now."
The lieutenant lay with his eyes closed and his lips moving for some
minutes before he spoke again, and then his voice was very husky.
"No, my boy," he said, "I did not understand that. But it is quite
natural; I could not have been so weak without. Tell me now, though,
what has been done."
"Everything, sir. The guns are mounted; there are good platforms; we
have built rough covering walls and mounted a flagstaff. Everything
that Strake, Mr Roylance, and I could think of has been done."
"But the captain--did he send the surgeon ashore, and some one else to
take command here?"
"No," said Sydney, and he explained their position.
"It is very strange," said the injured man, thoughtfully, and soon
afterward Strake appeared, bringing in the freshly-cooked fish, of which
the invalid partook; and then, seeming to be drowsy, he was left to
sleep.
The next morning Sydney explained more fully their position, and the
lieutenant listened eagerly.
"I can't be much use to you, Belton," he said.
"Oh, yes, you can, sir; you'll command, and we'll do what you tell us."
"No, my dear fellow, I shall not even interfere. You are in command;
you have done wonders, and I shall let you go on. But I hope you will
let me be counsellor, and come to me for advice."
"No, no, sir; you must take command now."
"Men do not obey a commander well if they cannot see him," said the
lieutenant, smiling. "Ah, Roylance!" he continued, as that individual
came to the door of the tent; "I'm telling Mr Belton he must go on as
he has begun. I'm getting better, you see, only I shall have to be
nursed for weeks. As soon as I am a little stronger you must have me
carried down to the rocks, and I'll catch fish for you all."
"No, sir, you will not," said Roylance, laughing, "unless you want to be
pulled in; the fish are terribly strong sometimes. Has Belton told you
everything about how we stand?"
"Yes."
"About the water?"
Sydney hesitated.
"I did not mention the water," he said at last.
"Then you have found no water?"
"No, sir."
"And the supply is giving out?"
"Almost gone, sir."
The lieutenant was silent for a few moments.
"It cannot be long before the _Sirius_ returns. Of course Captain
Belton put out to sea. It would have been madness to have stopped in
these reef-bound channels. Had you not better call the men together,
and thoroughly search all the crannies among the rocks for a spring, Mr
Belton?"
"Already done, sir, twice."
"Yes, of course; you would be sure to do that. Then there is only one
thing to do; we must wait patiently for help. Had we been provided with
a boat, of course we could have searched for water on the nearest
island. But keep a good heart; the _Sirius_ cannot be long."