Jack had been a general favorite.

The gallantry which he and his comrade had displayed on the night of the storm had greatly endeared them to the crew, and the men had bitterly regretted that they had not stood with him over Hawtry's body; but, indeed, it was not until they had passed on, and it was too late to return, that they had noticed his absence.
As Jack turned from Mr.Hethcote, his messmates crowded round him, and the men broke into a hearty cheer, again and again repeated.

Jack, gratified and touched by this hearty welcome, could scarce reply to the questions which his comrades poured upon him, and was speedily dragged below to the midshipmen's berth, where he gave a very brief outline of what had happened since he saw them, a story which filled them with astonishment and some little envy.
"I will tell you all about it fully, later on," Jack said, "but it would take me till night to give you the full yarn now.

But first you must tell me what has happened here.

You know I have heard nothing, and only know that Sebastopol is not yet taken." The recital was a long one, and Jack was fain to admit that the hardships which he had gone through were as nothing to those which had been borne by our soldiers in the Crimea during the six months he had been away from them.