"THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THE TRUTH." Bob Dickenson's jaw dropped as he stood staring for some moments at the corporal--as if he could not quite believe his ears. It seemed to him that this had something to do with the explosion, and that his hearing apparatus was still wrong, twisting and distorting matters, or else that the excitement of the past night and his exertions had combined with the aforesaid explosion to make him stupid and confused. But all the same he felt that he could think and weigh and compare Roby's words with those of the corporal, and experienced the sensation of a tremendous effervescence of rage bubbling up within his breast and rising higher and higher to his lips till it burst forth in words hot with indignation. "Why," he roared, "you miserable, snivelling--lying--Oh, tut, tut, tut! what a fool I am, quarrelling with a man off his head!--Here, orderly," he continued, turning to the hospital attendant, "this fellow May doesn't know what he's saying." "So I keep on telling him, sir," said the man sharply; "but he will keep at it. Here's poor Captain Roby regularly off his chump, and bursting out every now and then calling everybody a coward, and, as if that ain't bad enough, Corporal May goes on encouraging him by saying _Amen_ every time." "I don't," cried the corporal, in a very vigorous tone for one so badly injured; "and look here, if you make false charges against me I'll report you to the doctor next time he comes round, and to the colonel too." "What!" cried the orderly fiercely. "Yes, you'd better! Recollect you're down now, and it's my turn. I've had plenty of your nastiness, Mr Jack-in-office Corporal, for a year past, when I was in the ranks. You ain't a corporal now, but in hospital; and if you say much more and don't lie quiet I'll roll up a pad of lint and stuff that in your mouth." "You daren't," cried the corporal, speaking the simple truth defiantly, and without a trace of his previous whining tone. "Oh yes, I dare," said the attendant, with a grin. "Doctor's orders were that, as you were put in here when you oughtn't to be, I was to be sure and keep you quiet so as you shouldn't disturb the captain, and I'm blessed if I don't keep you quiet; so there." "You daren't," cried the corporal tauntingly. "What! Just you say that again and I will. Look here, my fine fellow. In comes Dr Emden. `What's this, orderly?' he says. `How dare you gag this man?' "`Couldn't keep him quiet, sir,' I says. `He's been raving awful, and lying, and egging the captain on to keep saying Mr Dickenson and Mr Lennox is cowards.'" "I wasn't lying," cried the corporal, with a return of his whimpering tone. "What Captain Roby says is all true. I saw Mr Lennox sneak off like a cur with his tail between his legs." "Cur yourself, you lying scoundrel!" cried Dickenson.--"Here, orderly, I'll hold him. Where's that gag?" "Oh! Ow!" wailed the corporal. "Here, if you touch me I'll cry for help."