ee them--why?"

"'Cause bein' very young gents they wouldn't send 'em or give 'em leave
to go 'cause o' the danger, but they liked 'em to go all the same,
'cause it showed they'd got sperret in 'em."

"Barney!" whispered Syd, looking at the bo'sun searchingly.

"No, sir; I won't say go," was whispered back. "You can't 'spect it.
But--"

Syd's eyes sparkled and he gave a cautious look round to see that the
captain was on the quarter-deck, and that the first lieutenant had his
back to him and was energetically insisting upon something to Roylance.

The next moment Syd was over the side, and down amongst the crew.

"Hide me somewhere, lads," he whispered eagerly. There was a laugh.

"Arn't you scared about meeting Jack Shark again, sir?" said one of the
men.

"Hold your row, Jim," said another. "This way, sir." There was a
little scuffling about, and the next minute, half fearing that he was
playing ostrich and had only concealed his head, Syd was listening. He
had hardly ceased moving when he heard the first lieutenant saying
something to Lieutenant Dallas, who was evidently descending the side.

"I wouldn't depend too much on that tackle. The guns are very heavy.
Now, Mr Roylance; in with you."

"Ay, ay, sir," came in peculiar tones; and Syd felt disgusted that he
should not have been able to come down into the boat in the same way,
instead of sneaking in like a rat.

"Seems to be a good deal of swell on amongst these little rocks," said
the first lieutenant. "You'll land at the other place."

"Oh, yes," said the second lieutenant; and from where he lay Syd could
just get a glimpse of him as he stood up in the stern-sheets.

"He must have seen me," he thought; and looking upwards, there right
over the side, and quite plainly to be seen, were the head and shoulders
of the first lieutenant gazing down into the boat.

Perfectly certain now that he should be shouted at for trying to get off
in the boat, Sydney lay perfectly still, waiting for the unpleasant
order; but oddly enough thinking at the same time that ignominious as it
would be to crawl up the ladder and climb on board, he should be spared
one pain--Terry would not be there to sneer at him.

"Might have been worse," he thought, as he gathered himself together,
ready to spring out and get the trouble over.

But the order did not come, and he only heard a growling sound as the
boatswain said something to one of the men.

"They're waiting fo