“You’re wounded yourself, sir,” exclaimed Riley.

“Oh, my boot was cut,” Darrin assented, indifferently.

“Look at your wrist, sir,” urged the young Coxswain.

Dave glanced down at his left wrist, to find it covered with blood.

“It must look worse than it is,” Darrin commented, listlessly.  “I didn’t even feel it.”

“It will need attention, sir, just the same,” Riley urged.  “Let me fix it up, sir, with a first aid bandage.”

There was a water cask aboard.  As the launch was now out of close range, and the Mexicans had apparently given up firing, Riley brought a cup of water, poured it over the wrist, and wiped away the blood.

“A scratch, as I thought,” smiled Dave.  “Not even enough to get excused from watch duty.”

“You’ll have it dressed, sir, won’t you, as soon as you get aboard the ‘Long Island’ again?” urged Riley, applying the sterilized bandage with swift skill.  “If the scoundrels used any of the brass-jacketed bullets of which they’re so fond, a scratch like that might lead to blood poisoning, sir.”

In a few minutes more the launch was out of rifle range.  Dave ordered the course changed to east by north-east, in order to reach the rendezvous of the three launches.

“Steamer ahead, sir!” sang out the bow lookout, a few minutes later.

“Whereaway?” called Darrin, moving forward.

“Three points off starboard bow, sir,” replied the sailorman.  “It looks like our own launch, sir.”

By this time Darrin was well forward.  He peered closely at the approaching craft, for she might be a Mexican Federal gunboat that had fallen into the hands of rebels or outlaws.

“It’s our own launch,” pronounced Darrin, a minute later.  He reached for the whistle pull and blew three blasts of welcome, which were promptly answered.

The two craft now neared each other.  “Launch ahoy, there!” called a voice from the bow of the other craft.

“Aye, aye, sir!” Darrin answered.

“Is that you, Ensign Darrin?”

“Aye, aye, sir.”

“Lay to.  I am coming alongside.”

As the launch under Dave’s command lost headway, then lay idly on the light ground swell, the other launch circled about her, then came up under the port quarter.

“Did you find the American party, Ensign Darrin?” demanded Lieutenant Cantor.

“Yes, sir; I have the entire party aboard and uninjured.”

“Was there any trouble?” asked Cantor.

“Yes, sir.  We were fired upon, and forced to defend ourselves.”

“You fired upon the natives?” exclaimed Lieutenant Cantor, in an \ astonished tone.

“I had to, sir.”

“In the face of orders not to fight?” pressed Dave’s enemy.

“Sir, if I had not fought, I would have lost my entire command,” Darrin answered, with an indignation that he could not completely veil.