r a stranger."

Paying the old fellow his fare, and parting with him with a hearty shake
of the hand, I sprang up the ship's side, and--remembering Tom's parting
caution just in the nick of time--presenting myself in due form upon the
quarter-deck, where the first lieutenant had posted himself and from
which he was directing the multitudinous operations then in progress,
reported myself to that much-dreaded official as "come on board to
join."

He was a rather tall and decidedly handsome man, with a gentlemanly
bearing and a well-knit shapely-looking figure, dark hair and eyes,
thick bushy whiskers meeting under the chin, and a clear strong
melodious voice, which, without the aid of a speaking-trumpet, he made
distinctly heard from one end of the ship to the other. As he stood
there, in an easy attitude with his hands lightly clasped behind his
back and his eye taking in, as it seemed at a glance, everything that
was going forward, he struck me as the _beau-ideal_ of a naval officer.
I took a strong liking to him on the spot, an instinctive prepossession
which was afterwards abundantly justified, for Mr Austin--that was his
name--proved to be one of the best officers it has ever been my good
fortune to serve under.

"Oh, you're come on board to join, eh?" he remarked in response to my
announcement. "I suppose you are the young gentleman about whom Captain
Vernon was speaking to me yesterday. What is your name?"

I told him.

"Ah! Hawkesley! yes, that is the name. I remember now. Captain Vernon
told me that although you have never been to sea as yet you are not
altogether a greenhorn. What can you do?"

"I can hand, reef, and steer, box the compass, pull an oar, or sail a
boat; and I know the name and place of every spar, sail, and rope
throughout the ship."

"Aha! say you so? Then you will prove indeed a valuable acquisition.
What is the name of this rope?"

"The main-topgallant clewline," I answered, casting my eye aloft to note
the "lead" of the rope.

"Right!" he replied with a smile. "And you have the true nautical
pronunciation also, I perceive. Mr Johnson,"--to a master's mate who
happened to be passing at the moment--"this is Mr Hawkesley. Kindly
take him under your wing and induct him into his quarters in the
midshipmen's berth, if you please. Don't stop to stow away your things
just now, Mr Hawkesley," he continued. "I shall have an errand for you
in a few minutes."

"Very well, sir,"