Дни грёз
A Saga Of The Seas
Itwasabeautifulspeech.TheFrenchmanatoncepresentedmewithhisparole,intheusualway,and,inareplyofsomepowerandpathos,onlybeggedthatIwouldretireamomentwhileheputonhistrousers.ThisIgracefullyconsentedtodo,andtheincidentended.
Twoofmyboatsweresunkbythefirefromthefortsontheshore,andseveralbravefellowswereseverelywoundedinthehand-to-handstrugglewiththeFrenchcrewforthepossessionofthefrigate.Butthebo’sun’sadmirablestrategy,andmyownrecklessgallantryinsecuringtheFrenchcaptainattheoutset,hadthefortunateresultofkeepingdownthedeath-rate.ItwasallforthesakeofthePrincessthatIhadarrangedsocomparativelytameavictory.Formyself,Iratherlikedafairamountofblood-letting,red-hotshot,andflyingsplinters.Butwhenyouhavegirlsabouttheplace,theyhavegottobeconsideredtoacertainextent.
Therewasanothersupper-partythatnight,inmycabin,assoonaswehadgotwellouttosea;andtheFrenchcaptain,whowastheguestoftheevening,wasinthegreatestpossibleform.Webecameswornfriends,andexchangedinvitationstocomeandstayateachother’shomes,andreallyitwasquitedifficulttoinducehimtotakehisleave.Butatlastheandhiscrewwerebundledintotheirboats;andafterIhadpressedsomepiratebullionuponthem—delicately,ofcourse,butinapleasantmannerthatadmittedofnodenial—thegallantfellowsquitebrokedown,andweparted,ourbosomsheavingwithafullsenseofeachother’smagnanimityandgood-fellowship.
