nion, "I'd a known him a
mile off, and I see'd last night in the paper that he's appointed to the
_Plantagenet_ along with Captain Hemming. (Dick pronounced all the
syllables long.) What say you? my pockets are pretty well cleaned out,
and so, I've a notion, are yours. Shall we go and enter at once? It
must come to that afore long."

"I'm agreeable, Dick--when a thing's to be done, it's best to do it like
men," said Ben, just as they arrived in front of the bookseller's shop,
where they waited the reappearance of the lieutenant, Jack soon came
out, and at once recognising two former shipmates in the _Dugong_, Dick
Needham and Ben Snatchblock asked them if they were willing to join the
_Plantagenet_. An affirmative being given, he begged them to pick up
any other prime hands they could come across. By the evening, when he
returned on board, he had, much to his satisfaction, obtained ten good
men.

The next day Jack went on shore for the same purpose, accompanied by
Tom, with the intention of calling on Admiral Triton before returning on
board. They had just passed through the Dockyard gates when Jack saw
approaching from the left, accompanied by a young midshipman, a
lieutenant, whom it did not take him many seconds to recognise as his
old messmate, Alick Murray. They did not exactly rush into each other's
arms as Frenchmen or Spaniards would have done, but they shook hands
with honest warmth, and Jack exclaimed, "I thought you were in Scotland.
Where have you sprung from, Alick?"

Murray then told him that he had been appointed as second lieutenant to
the _Tudor_, Commander Babbicome, with orders to join immediately, which
he had done the previous evening but having the outfit of a youngster to
look after, and letters to write, he had been unable to get on board the
_Plantagenet_. He turned round and introduced his companion, a tall,
slight lad, as his cousin Archy Gordon, who had also been appointed to
the corvette. Thereon Jack introduced Tom, and the two midshipmen, who
had before been eyeing each other askance, shook hands, and of course at
once fraternised. Tom felt very proud of being able to speak in an
authoritative tone about the frigate to Archy, who had not as yet been
on board the corvette, and had not even seen a ship of war except at a
distance.

"We do things as smart as lightning aboard our frigate, I can tell you,"
continued Tom. "Our first lieutenant is a very good fellow, and our
seco