"Not yet, at any rate," answered Captain Gales, calmly. "I wish
to hear your story."

"Very good, sir," Dave returned, then plunged at once into a narrative
that was stripped to the bare facts. He told everything from
the landing of his men to the final escape from the lagoon under
Mexican fire.

"Of course, sir, Coxswain Riley and Corporal Ross will be able
to bear me out as to the facts of which they have knowledge.
And I would suggest, sir," Darrin added, "that Mr. Carmody, who
knows more of Cosetta than any of us, will be able to give you
an excellent opinion of whether I was obliged to throw my command
into the fight."

"How much of your ammunition did you bring back?" asked Captain
Gales, his face betraying nothing of his inward opinion.

"All the Colt ammunition was used, sir."

"And the rifle ammunition?"

"I do not believe, sir, that any man brought back more than three
or four of his cartridges. Some of the men, undoubtedly, have
no ammunition left."

"It is evident, sir," hinted Lieutenant Cantor, "that Ensign Darrin
did his best to bring on an engagement. And his thirty per cent
casualty list-----"