Page:Barbour--For the freedom from the seas.djvu/292

 "That's so, you don't know, do you? I'll spin the yarn for you in a moment. Tell me first about yourself. Everything all right? I hear you're in line for a petty officership all along of being a bloomin' hero awhile back."

"Never mind about me, Tip. I'm all right. What happened to you?"

"Oh, me? We-ell, it was a rotten bit of luck, Troy. You know the dear old Luff's gone?" Nelson nodded. "Yes, flickered out the first night we were afloat. Died like a hero, though." Tip's lip trembled. "Troy, if—if the Lord doesn't make 'em pay for all the wickedness they've done" He swallowed hard, and then the old smile flooded back. "They got us a week ago today—no, a week ago yesterday. We were jaunting along all cozy about twenty miles so'west of St. Gowan's Head. It was a fine moonlight night and the sea was decently calm and the dear little tub was doing her standard of twelve knots. There was one of our destroyers running close to starboard and she'd just blinked us to keep off when Nutley, who was standing look- out for'ard, gave a yell. I was on the bridge and didn't hear what he shouted, but I ordered hard aport, taking a chance, as you'd say. I fancy it wouldn't have made a pennyworth of 267