It was getting cold, too, and Mr. Parker goes past me on ’is way to the bridge with ’is greatcoat buttoned up round ’is neck. "More work to-night, Jones. See that your night sights are in good order, and get up plenty of ammunition," ’e says, an’ I answers, "Very good, sir," and goes hoff to overhaul the gun gear, and ’ears the engine-room gong soundin’ down below and them engines, with a ’ollow grating sound like a giant a-snoring, goes a’ead slow, and, though we can’t see five feet in front of us, I knows by the lapping of the water against our bows that we are moving slowly in under those big guns ashore. "If they’ve got search-lights ashore, they’ll spot us and give it us ’ot," said one of the youngsters of my gun’s crew, whispering like a fool. "When you’re awsked for your opinion you just give it," says I, speaking in my natural voice, which is rayther loud, and kicking ’im none too gentle, for all this whispering rayther gives you the fair jumps. We was a pretty chilly crowd up on the bridge, a-standing nervous-like round the 12-pounder and staring a’ead into the darkness. Joe Smith (the signalman) and Mr. Parker had their night-glasses jammed to their eyes, and all of us egspected to feel the rocks a-crunching and grating under our bows every minute. An’ not a sound ’cept the grating row down in the engine-room, which seemed to swallow everything else, and we ’ardly thought them Dagos of pirates could help ’earing of it if they had their ears shipped on proper-like. Then someone whispers, "’Ear that, Bill", and shortly we could ’ear the booming of the swell breaking itself on the rocks; and Mr. Parker, ’e turns to the engine-room telegraph and we stops our engines, and the grating noise stopped all of a sudden and left us all more lonesome than ever, till the moaning and roaring on the rocks a’ead of us got louder, and seemed a jolly sight too close to be comfortable. The wind had dropped by this ’ere time, and the long swell just slid under us and rolled away into the night, as we listened for it to break itself with a crash and a roar. It seemed not two ’undred yards hoff of us.