All my watch there was nothing stirring ; and by the banging of the helm , I knew they had even no one at the tiller . Indeed -LRB- as I learned afterwards -RRB- there were so many of them hurt or dead , and the rest in so ill a temper , that Mr. Riach and the captain had to take turn and turn like Alan and me , or the brig might have gone ashore and nobody the wiser . It was a mercy the night had fallen so still , for the wind had gone down as soon as the rain began . Even as it was , I judged by the wailing of a great number of gulls that went crying and fishing round the ship , that she must have drifted pretty near the coast or one of the islands of the Hebrides ; and at last , looking out of the door of the round-house , I saw the great stone hills of Skye on the right hand , and , a little more astern , the strange isle of Rum . CHAPTER XI THE CAPTAIN KNUCKLES UNDER Alan and I sat down to breakfast about six of the clock . The floor was covered with broken glass and in a horrid mess of blood , which took away my hunger . In all other ways we were in a situation not only agreeable but merry ; having ousted the officers from their own cabin , and having at command all the drink in the ship -- both wine and spirits -- and all the dainty part of what was eatable , such as the pickles and the fine sort of bread . This , of itself , was enough to set us in good humour , but the richest part of it was this , that the two thirstiest men that ever came out of Scotland -LRB- Mr. Shuan being dead -RRB- were now shut in the fore-part of the ship and condemned to what they hated most -- cold water . `` And depend upon it , '' Alan said , `` we shall hear more of them ere long . Ye may keep a man from the fighting , but never from his bottle . '' We made good company for each other . Alan , indeed , expressed himself most lovingly ; and taking a knife from the table , cut me off one of the silver buttons from his coat . `` I had them , '' says he , `` from my father , Duncan Stewart ; and now give ye one of them to be a keepsake for last night 's work . And wherever ye go and show that button , the friends of Alan Breck will come around you . '' He said this as if he had been Charlemagne , and commanded armies ; and indeed , much as I admired his courage , I was always in danger of smiling at his vanity : in danger , I say , for had I not kept my countenance , I would be afraid to think what a quarrel might have followed . As soon as we were through with our meal he rummaged in the captain 's locker till he found a clothes-brush ; and then taking off his coat , began to visit his suit and brush away the stains , with such care and labour as I supposed to have been only usual with women . To be sure , he had no other ; and , besides -LRB- as he said -RRB- , it belonged to a king and so behoved to be royally looked after . For all that , when I saw what care he took to pluck out the threads where the button had been cut away , I put a higher value on his gift . He was still so engaged when we were hailed by Mr. Riach from the deck , asking for a parley ; and I , climbing through the skylight and sitting on the edge of it , pistol in hand and with a bold front , though inwardly in fear of broken glass , hailed him back again and bade him speak out . He came to the edge of the round-house , and stood on a coil of rope , so that his chin was on a level with the roof ; and we looked at each other awhile in silence .
Mr. XXXXX , as I do not think he had been very forward in the battle , so he had got off with nothing worse than a blow upon the cheek : but he looked out of heart and very weary , having been all night afoot , either standing watch or doctoring the wounded .
Alan Charlemagne Hebrides Riach Shuan Skye XI fore-part gulls right