ight of his father, obtained his
promotion. He returned home, and was immediately appointed second
lieutenant of his old ship, the "Thisbe," now commanded by Captain
Calder, and bound out to the East Indies.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

RONALD SECOND LIEUTENANT OF THE "THISBE"--A BALL AT CALCUTTA--RONALD'S
GALLANTRY--A CHALLENGE--HIS REPLY.

Ronald Morton had gone through the usual vicissitudes of a midshipman's
career, during the full swing of a hot and somewhat bloody war. He had
run a good many chances of being knocked on the head, but he had done a
good many things also to be proud of, though he was not overmuch so, and
he had gained a fair amount of credit.

Once more he was on board his old ship, the "Thisbe." When he first
joined he was a ship's boy; he was now her second lieutenant. The first
was Rawson--he was a totally changed man. He had performed a very
gallant action under the eye of the admiral, had been highly spoken of
in the "Gazette," had in consequence at once received his promotion, and
had been an active, enterprising officer ever since. He seldom or never
grumbled now, or talked of his bad luck; indeed he seemed to think that
the world was a very good sort of place for some men to live in, and
that the British navy was not a bad profession after all for a fellow to
belong to. He and Ronald Morton had not met for some years. They were
glad to find themselves once again shipmates.

The "Thisbe" was commanded by one they both loved and respected--honest,
gallant, fighting Tom Calder. Tom had won his upward way by courage and
zeal, rarely surpassed. The Lords of the Admiralty could not refuse him
his promotion, had they wished it. The whole navy would have cried out
at the injustice. Happily, honest Tom had no one to whisper evil
against him. He had not an enemy in the world--so, to be sure, it is
sometimes said of a goose, but then the goose is his own enemy. Tom, on
the contrary, had proved true to himself, and that, in fact, lay at the
bottom of his success.

Of the old "Thisbes," as they were pleased to call themselves, Dicky
Glover was the only officer. He was, however, still a mate. He was
senior mate, though he could not help now and then just thinking that it
would not be so very unfortunate--only a merciful dispensation of
Providence--should they go into action, seeing that somebody must be
killed, should a shot happen to knock over the third lieutenant, and
give him a chance o