hat's
become of Mr Keene?"

"Oh, I don't know; but if he's not hanged by this time, I believe that
he's to join the ship."

"Won't I pull your ears for that?" thought I.

"What other officers have we of the Calliope, sir?"

"There's the master, Mr Smith, and the surgeon."

"Well, Mr Dott, one must always make a virtue of necessity. Tell Mr
Smith that I shall enter for the ship; and I'll put my name down at
once, instead of being penned up here."

"That's right, Cross; and I say, you chaps, you'd better follow a good
example. Sentry, let this man go with me."

Bob Cross then went with Tommy Dott, and entered for the service. The
master was very glad to see him again and said, "Why, Cross, Mr Keene
said that you had promised him to join us."

"Why, sir, so I had; but it's a long story. However, it's all the same
in the end: here I am, and I hope I shall get my old rating."

Soon after, Bob Cross came down and said, "Well, my lads, I'm free now,
and I advise you all to do the same. Come, Jack," said he to me, "what
d'ye say?"

"No, no," replied I. "I won't unless all the rest do."

Bob then took me on one side, and told me what had taken place, and
asked me what he should say to the captain. I told him, and then he
left us.

At ten o'clock the captain came on board. Bob Cross went up to him and
said he wished to say something to him in the cabin. He followed the
captain down, and then explained to him that I was among the pressed men
but as a means of obtaining plenty more men, I had remained among them,
and had not made myself known, for fear my trick should get wind; also
that I thought the crimp should be kept on board, although he was of no
use as a seaman.

"Mr Keene has behaved very prudently," replied Captain Delmar. "I
understand his motives--leave the rest to me."

A few minutes after Bob had communicated to me what the captain had
said, the pressed men were ordered up, and ranged along the
quarter-deck. A finer set of men I never saw together: and they all
appeared to be, as they afterwards proved to be prime seamen. The
captain called them one by one and questioned them. He asked them to
enter, but they refused. The crimp begged hard to be released. Their
names were all put down on the ship's book together.

The captain, turning to me--for I had stood up the last of the row--
said, "I understand the officer of the impress agreed to release you if
you would tell him where your c