cow's side, placed the vessel between his legs, and began to
operate in true dairyman style upon the cow.

_Whack_! _Bang_! _Clatter_!

There was a tremendous roar of laughter from every one on board except
from Dirty Dick, who was down on his back a couple of yards away,
staring at the cow as if wondering how she could have gone off as she
did. For the quiet-looking, inoffensive beast was standing perfectly
still again, blinking her eyes and chewing her cud, but writhing and
twisting her tail about as if it were an eel, after, at Dick's first
touch, raising one of her hind legs and sending the pail flying across
the deck and the would-be milker backwards.

"Come, come," said the lieutenant, wiping his eyes and trying to look
very important and stern, "that's not the right way, my man. Try
again."

Dick rose unwillingly, planted the upturned bucket once more in its
place, and took the milking bucket from one of the men who had picked it
up. Then, sitting down again rather nervously, he once more placed the
vessel between his legs, stuck his head against the cow's side, and
prepared to milk.

_Whack_!

The bucket flew along the deck again, and Dick bounded away, saving
himself from falling this time as he was prepared, and made a sudden
leap backwards to stand wiping the perspiration from his forehead.

There was another roar of laughter, and the lieutenant bade Dick try
again.

The man gave his officer an appealing look which seemed to say, "Tell me
to board the enemy, sir, and I'll go, but don't ask me to do this."

"Come; be smart!"

Dick turned, glanced wistfully at Archy, shaking his head at him
reproachfully, sighed, and, taking the bucket again, he looked into it
with his rugged brown face full of despair.

"It's quite empty, Dick," said the middy, laughing.

"Yes, sir; there's nowt in it, and," he added to himself, "not like to
be."

Again he settled himself into his place in as businesslike a way as a
farm lad would who was accustomed to the cow-shed, but the moment he
began the cow gave her tail a swing, lifted her leg, and planted it in
the bucket, holding it down on the deck.

"Pail's full," cried Archy; and the men yelled with delight, their
officer vainly trying to control his own mirth as Dick began to pat and
apostrophise the cow.

"Coom, coom! Coosh, cow, then," he said soothingly. "Tak' thy leg oot
o' the boocket, my bairn;" and to the astonishment of all present the
cow lift