ay , ay , said jack ; he quite forgets when the bullets were scuttling our nobs off cape ushant , when that big frenchman had hold of him by the skirf of his neck , and began pummelling his head , and the lee scuppers were running with blood , and a bit of joe wigginss brains had come slap in my eye , while some of jack marlings guts was hanging round my neck like a nosegay , all in consequence of grape-shotthen he didnt say as i was a swab , when i came up , and bored a hole in the frenchmans back with a pike .