In vain Lawton declared himself fit for any duty that man could perform, or plainly intimated that his men would never follow Tom Mason to a charge with the alacrity and confidence with which they followed himself; his commander was firm, and the reluctant captain was compelled to comply with as good a grace as he could assume.
Hiába bizonygatta Lawton, hogy nincs az a feladat, amelyet ne tudna végrehajtani, sőt, arra is hiába célozgatott, hogy emberei sohasem követnék Tom Masont olyan hévvel és lelkesedéssel a csatába, mint őt, Lawtont: parancsnoka hajthatatlan maradt, s a kapitánynak jó képet kellett vágnia a dologhoz.