"Oh, that's all right," said the auctioneer. "I know Mr --, and his
word is as good as his bond. He'll give you the difference between your
bid and his present offer, and you'll gain something by the deal."

"By Jove!" cried Larkyns. "I never thought of that, but I wanted some
wine for the mess."

"I daresay we can manage that," said the buyer, evidently pleased with
his bargain, though had he known of my friend's mistake in time before
he made his offer he might not have been so generous. "I'll tell you
what I'll do, I will give you 50 pounds to take over the consignment,
and a cask of the wine into the bargain."

This Master Larkyns readily agreed to, as may be well imagined; and the
upshot of the affair was, that our mess funds were 50 pounds richer by
this visit of Larkyns to the auction rooms.

This enabled us to live "like fighting cocks" while we remained in port;
and when the wardroom officers chanced to pay us a visit, which I
noticed they more frequently did now than formerly, we were able to
offer them a glass of claret, which was rather a novelty in those days
in the gunroom mess.

After refitting, we went for a cruise to the East Indies, where we found
the new admiral who had come out to replace Admiral Hope; and, in the
spring of the following year, having served for eighteen months as a
naval cadet, I was promoted to the rank of midshipman, the captain and
first lieutenant, having convinced themselves of my competency by asking
me how I would manage to get a six-pounder to the top of a perpendicular
hill, my answer to which question was that I would head it up in a cask
and "parbuckle" it up.

"Glass-eye" smiled rather quizzingly at this, requesting to know what
sort of cask I would employ. I settled him at once, however, by saying
that a claret cask would do; there having been a joke current of his
coming to see how the gunroom was getting on about luncheon time, at the
time our wine cellar had been so sumptuously replenished by Larkyns,
who, by the way, got his step to acting mate the same month that I was
made midshipman.

CHAPTER THIRTY.

IN A BAMBOO CAGE.

During the interval that had elapsed since our defeat in front of the
Taku Forts, to proceed now to more stirring events, the English and
French Governments had been organising a joint expedition against China;
to demand an apology for the treatment their respective representatives
had received, and insist on the stipulation