take his evening walk after a busy day with
his specimens that he had dragged and trawled from the calm sea.

The captain had just given orders to the mate to summon all hands on
deck, and one of the first proceedings was to call the men to attention,
the next to send them to the small-arms chest, from which each returned
with cutlass buckled on and carrying a boarding pike, which were placed
in a rack round the mainmast.

Rodd took his position just opposite as the men fell into line; Uncle
Paul seated himself as far off as he could get, in a deck-chair, where
he sat and frowned; and then Captain Chubb diligently put his men
through all the evolutions of cutlass drill over and over again, till he
was satisfied, when he bade them fall out for a few minutes to rid
themselves of their cutlasses.

In the interval Rodd went up to where his uncle was seated.

"I say, uncle," he said, "how the men have improved!" Uncle Paul
grunted, and just then Captain Chubb strolled up.

"Well, sir," he said, "we shall soon have a crew now as smart as a
man-of-war's."

"So I see," grumbled Uncle Paul; "and when you have got them perfect
what are you going to do with them?"

"Ah, that remains to be seen, sir. There's nothing like being
prepared."

"Better let the men rest after all they have done to-day. What with
their deck cleaning and the work they have done for me, they don't want
setting to play at soldiers."

"Playing at soldiers, eh, sir? I call it playing at sailors. No use to
lock the stable-door after the steed's stolen. My lads may never be
called upon to fight, but if by bad luck we are, I should like them to
be able to use their fighting tools like men."

"Oh, it isn't likely," said Uncle Paul, "in a peaceful voyage like
ours."

"Most unlikely things are those that happen first," growled the captain.

"But you worry the men with too much work, and I want them to be fresh
and ready for me to-morrow morning. I don't want the poor fellows to be
discontented."

"Discontented, sir!" cried the skipper hotly. "I should like to see
them look discontented! But not they! They like it. Puts them in mind
of their old fighting days. Now you shall see them go through their
drill with the boarding pikes, and see how smart I have made them. I
say they like it, sir; and I know."

"Then I suppose," said Uncle Paul, "you will set them to work lumbering
about that great gun, pretending to load and fire it. Why, who