Part 4 (2/2)

”That's right, sir Cut it is, but I should say as it'll soon grow up together again”

Aleck pressed the kerchief to his lip, and winced with pain

”Arn't loosened no teeth, have yer, sir?”

Aleck shook his head

”Go on,” he said ”What about my nose? It's swollen, isn't it?”

”Well, yes, sir, it is a bit swelled like Puffy, as yerJem's is I shouldn'tThere's nothing like cold sea water for that, though it do ood it used to do e'd been in action and the lads had got chopped about in boarding the enemy The Frenchies used to be pretty handy with their cutlasses and boarding-pikes They used axes too”

”Oh, I don't want to know about that,” cried Aleck, pettishly ”There's a scratch or so onto call it a scratch, sir I should call that a cut”

”Tut, tut, tut!” ejaculated Aleck

”That'll soon be all right, sir,” continued the sailor, cheerfully

”Bit o' sticking plaster'll soon set that to rights What I don't like is your eyes”

”My eyes?” cried Aleck ”Yes, they do feel stiff when I wink them Do they look bad, then?”

The sailor chuckled softly

”What do you rily ”Are they swollen too? I'h at in that”

The sailor tried to look very serious, but failed The laughing crinkles were smoothed out of his face, but his eyes sparkled and danced with merriment as he said:

”I didn't mean no harm, Master Aleck, but you wouldn't say what you did if you could see your eyes They do look so rum”

”Why? How?” cried Aleck, excitedly

”Did yer see Benny Wiggs's eyes las' year after he took the bee swarins's damsel tree?”

”No, of course I didn't,” cried Aleck, impatiently

”Ah, that's a pity, sir, because yourn looks just like his'n did You see, they don't look like eyes!”

”Then what do they look like?” cried Aleck