" [Babbington] " What did [the Doctor, Stephen] do to you, sir?" [Captain Aubrey] " Well, I am ashamed to say he took a pistol-ball out of the small of my back. It must have been when I turned to hail for more hands- thank God I did not. At the time I thought it was one of those vile horses that were capering about abaft the wheel." " Oh, sir, surely a horse would never have fired off a pistol? "