y to his surprise,
the last. In those days no questions were asked where men or boys came
from. At the present time, a boy who should thus appear on board a
man-of-war would find himself in the wrong box, and be quickly sent on
shore again, and home to his friends. None are allowed to enter the
Navy until they have gone through a regular course of instruction in a
training ship, and none are received on board her unless they can read
and write well, and have a formally signed certificate that they have
obtained permission from their parents or guardians.

CHAPTER TWO.

HEAVING UP THE ANCHOR.

As soon as the boys' names were entered, they were sent forward, under
charge of the ship's corporal, to obtain suits of sailor's clothing from
the purser's steward, which clothing was charged to their respective
accounts.

The ship's corporal made them wash themselves before putting on their
fresh gear; and when they appeared in it, with their hair nicely combed
out, it was soon seen which of the three was likely to prove the
smartest sea boy.

Bill, who had never had such neat clothing on before, felt himself a
different being. Tom strutted about and tried to look big. Jack was
not much changed, except that he had a round hat instead of a cap, clean
clothes, and lighter shoes than the thick ones in which he had come on
board.

As neither Tom nor Bill knew the stem from the stern of the ship, and
even Jack felt very strange, they were handed over to the charge of Dick
Brice, the biggest ship's boy, with orders to him to instruct them in
their respective duties.

Dick had great faith in a rope's-end, having found it efficacious in his
own case. He was fond of using it pretty frequently to enforce his
instructions. Jack and Bill supposed that it was part of the regular
discipline of the ship; but Tom had not bargained for such treatment,
and informing Dick that he would not stand it, in consequence got a
double allowance.

He dared not venture to complain to his superiors, for he saw the
boatswain and the boatswain's mate using their colts with similar
freedom, and so he had just to grin and bear it.

At night, when the hammocks were piped down, the three went to theirs in
the forepart of the ship. Bill thought he had never slept in a more
comfortable bed in his life. Jack did not think much about the matter;
but Tom, who had always been accustomed to a well-made bed at home,
grumbled dreadfully when he tri