icer to
idle about ashore, you know."

"No, sir," I responded, "it certainly is not, and I am exceedingly glad
that you have broached the subject, for it affords me an early
opportunity to do what I have had it in my mind to do, namely, to ask
you whether you cannot find me some better employment than kicking my
heels aboard the guardship until the frigate returns."

"Ah!" commented Sir Peter, "so that was what you had in your mind, was
it? Have you served your time yet?"

"Yes, sir," I replied, "with nearly three months to spare."

"Good!" remarked my companion. "But of course you have not passed yet?
You have not had an opportunity. Have you your log-books with you?"

"Yes, sir," I answered. "When I was sent ashore to the hospital,
Captain Vavassour was good enough to send with me all my belongings."

"Where are they--the log-books, I mean--now?" demanded Sir Peter.

"They are aboard the guardship, with the rest of my things," I answered.

"Very well," returned my companion. "You had better go down to Port
Royal with me in the morning, and bring your log-books ashore for me to
look at. I have a scheme in my head for employing you, but I am not at
all sure whether you are fit to undertake a duty of so exceedingly
responsible a character as that which I have in my mind; although I
don't hesitate to tell you, youngster, that Captain Vavassour gave you a
most excellent character in every respect. What sort of a navigator are
you? I suppose, like most other young gentlemen, you can fudge a day's
work well enough to pass muster, eh?"

I laughed. "I am afraid, sir," I replied, "that too many of us would
rather fudge than take the trouble to do our day's work properly. But I
got out of that lazy trick some time ago; and now I will not turn my
back upon any lad of my own age, whether midshipman, or master's-mate,
where navigation is concerned."

"Ah!" he remarked, "that sounds all right. Tell me, what can you do in
navigation problems?"

"I can do Plane, Traverse, Middle-Latitude, and Mercator's Sailing," I
answered. "I can also do a Day's Work; I can use my quadrant with
accuracy; can find the Latitude by a meridian altitude of the sun, moon,
or a star; can find the error and rate of the chronometer, and also the
longitude by it; can determine the variation of the compass; can find
the longitude by a `lunar'; can do the Pole Star problem; and--well, I
think that is about all, sir, thus far."

"And a