18
‘I’LL STAND HIS WATCHES.’ MacGregor stood beside the ward-room table, fiddling absently with the poker dice which lay on it in a pool of five around their leather cup. Crawshaw glanced up sharply.
‘Oh no, Sir. Soames and I’ll keep watch-and-watch. It’s only a couple of days, won’t hurt us.’
‘I dare say it wouldn’t. But I’m not making offers, or asking for argument, Number One. As I said, I’ll stand Olsen’s watches, as from midnight.’
‘Aye aye, Sir.’ Crawshaw thought, He’s wrong. He reckons it’s his fault that Olsen got shot up, and to salve his conscience he’s making a whopping error. A commanding officer has to be ready to cope with emergencies, fit and fresh at any time of the day or night. Not half stupefied from lack of sleep, his judgement clouded and muzzy just when everything
