was not aware of it. I came on board last night? I was
not aware of that fact," said Christy.

The petty officer did not hear his remarks, for he had been called by
the second lieutenant in the waist, and, with a touch of his cap,
hastened away. The lieutenant opened his eyes very wide, as he looked
down at the seams in the deck, and wondered whether he were asleep or
awake. He had been quite sick, and he had come on board the night
before! It was very strange that he was not at all aware of either of
these facts. He felt reasonably confident that he had slept in his own
chamber at Bonnydale the night before, and at that time he was certainly
in a very robust state of health, however it might be at the present
moment. Even now, he could not complain of anything more severe than an
embryo cold in the head, which the medicine his mother had given him
would probably reduce to a state of subjection in a day or two.

At first, he was disposed to be amused at the answers the quartermaster
had given him, for it was evident to him then that he had been mistaken
for another person. It looked as though some officer had come on board,
and reported under his name, for he had not yet learned anything in
regard to the gentleman who had appeared to be quite sick when he
reported himself. It had the elements of another mystery in it. But the
petty officer could easily have made an honest mistake; and this was the
solution he accepted, without bothering his bewildered brain any further
about it.

The commander appeared to be less occupied at this moment than he had
been before, and Christy stepped forward to the quarter-deck, and
politely saluted him. Captain Battleton was not less punctilious in his
etiquette. He was a young man, though he was apparently six or seven
years older than Christy. He was an ensign, and looked like a gentleman
who was likely to give a good account of himself when he was called to
more active duty than that of commanding a store ship.

"Good-morning, Lieutenant Passford!" said Captain Battleton, as he
extended his hand to his passenger. "I am glad to see that you are
better."

Christy was utterly confounded at this salutation.

CHAPTER IV

THE SICK OFFICER IN THE STATEROOM

Captain Battleton spoke to Christy as though he had met him before, and
needed no introduction. He was glad to see that the young officer was
better, which indicated that he had been sick. He was confounded by the
situati