And then, in the man's own words: 'I saw what I had done.I knew the Regulations, and I said to myself, 'It's all up with you, Jack, my boy; so here goes.' An' I jumped over after him, my mind made up to drown us both.An' I'd ha' done it, too, only the pinnace from the flagship was just comin' alongside.Up we came to the top, me a hold of him an' punchin' him.This was what settled for me.If I hadn't ben strikin' him, I could have claimed that, seein' what I had done, Ijumped over to save him.'
Then came the court-martial, or whatever name a sea trial goes by.
He recited his sentence, word for word, as though memorized and gone over in bitterness many times.And here it is, for the sake of discipline and respect to officers not always gentlemen, the punishment of a man who was guilty of manhood.To be reduced to the rank of ordinary seaman; to be debarred all prize money due him; to forfeit all rights to pension; to resign the Victoria Cross; to be discharged from the navy with a good character (this being his first offence); to receive fifty lashes; and to serve two years in prison.
'I wish I had drowned that day, I wish to God I had,' he concluded, as the line moved up and we passed around the corner.
At last the door came in sight, through which the paupers were being admitted in bunches.And here I learned a surprising thing: this being Wednesday, none of us would be released till Friday morning.
Furthermore, and oh, you tobacco users, take heed: we would not be permitted to take in any tobacco.This we would have to surrender as we entered.Sometimes, I was told, it was returned on leaving, and sometimes it was destroyed.