which I will accept for Ned, although I might
have thought twice about it had it been made more directly in my favour.
Ned, as soon as you have breakfasted, start away for Longview station.
Give Mr Hanson my regards, and say I shall be grateful to him if he
will take you under his wing to Portsmouth, and arrange about your
outfit; it will save me the expense of the journey, though I should
wonderfully like to see you on board your ship, to introduce you to the
captain and your future messmates. Sally, give Ned some slices of bread
and butter, while Mary pours me out a cup of tea."

Ned having diligently set to work to swallow the food, in less than a
minute declared himself ready to start.

"But you have taken nothing, my poor boy!" exclaimed Aunt Sally.

"I can eat the rest on the way," answered Ned, showing a slice of bread
which he had doubled up and put into his pocket.

"All right, you'll do well!" said his uncle, nodding approvingly. "When
you receive an order, lose no time in executing it."

Ned ran off, sprang up the hill with the agility of a deer, and made his
way to the coast-guard station faster than he had ever before performed
the distance. Standing at the door he found a stranger, who inquired
his errand.

"Mr Hanson started this morning, or he would have been happy to take
charge of you, youngster," was the answer he received. "But my son
Charley is to join the `Ione' in a couple of days, and you can accompany
him. As he has been to sea before, he will look after you and keep you
out of mischief. Tell your uncle, as I don't want to bring him all this
way, that I will, with his leave, call upon him in the course of the
morning to make the necessary arrangements. I'll make you known,
however, to my son before you go back; come in and have some breakfast."

"Thank you, sir, I have already had mine, and my uncle wants me to
return as soon as possible; but I shall be glad to be introduced to your
son. Who shall I tell my uncle you are, sir?"

"Say Lieutenant Meadows; we were for a short time messmates as
midshipmen on board the old `Goliath,' and I knew his brother-in-law,
poor Garth. Was he your father?"

"Yes, sir," answered Ned.

"I'm very glad that his son and mine are to be together. Charley!" he
shouted, turning round.

At the summons, a fine-looking lad in a midshipman's uniform, about two
years older than Ned, made his appearance, his face well bronzed by a
tropical sun and sea