.

"Yes, he's a kind, good gentleman as ever lived," answered Ben warmly.

"That may be; but what I mean is, if you keep wide awake, and try to win
his favour, you'll have a comfortable time of it, and get a good rating
before the ship is paid off," observed Tom.

Ben, resolved as he was to keep to his principles, and to be ready to
own them on all fit occasions, looked at his companion, and said, "I
know, Martin, there's one thing I have to do, and that is, to do right
whatever comes of it. If I do right, I need have no fear but that, in
the long-run, I shall please the first lieutenant and all the officers;
at any rate, I shall please God, and that's of more consequence than
anything else."

"Oh, I see what sort of a chap you are!" observed Tom. "Well, don't go
and talk like that to others--they mayn't take it as I do; for my part,
I don't mind it." And Tom put on a very self-pleased, patronising air.

"I don't see that I have said anything out of the way," remarked Ben.
"It stands to reason that to do right is the only way to please God, and
that to please God is the wisest thing to do, as He gives us everything
we have; and of course He will give more to those who try to please Him
than to those who do not. There are many other reasons, but that is
one, is it not?"

"Yes, I suppose so; but I haven't thought much about such things," said
Tom.

"Then do think about them. I know that it is a good thing to do," said
Ben.

"I'll try," whispered Tom.

It must not be supposed that Ben and Tom often talked together like this
at first. There was too much bustle going forward for anything of the
sort; they, as well as everybody in the ship, were kept hard at work
from sunrise to sunset, and they were both so sleepy at night, when they
turned into their hammocks, that they instantly fell fast asleep.

Ben had thus an opportunity of observing the whole process of
fitting-out a ship. First he saw the huge, heavy guns hoisted on board,
by means of tackles, with as much ease as an angler draws a big fish out
of the water; then they were mounted on their carriages, and secured
along the sides. Tackles, he learned, are formed by reeving ropes
several times backwards and forwards through blocks. Then the topmasts
and yards were got on board, swayed up, and crossed. Next, stores of
all sorts were brought alongside--anchors, and chain-cables, and coils
of rope, and round shot, and sails, and canvas, and paint, and