in case of anything happening to the
captain there is someone on board who could, in such a case, take a lunar
or shoot a star. Well, to-morrow morning we will go down to the docks, and
I will hand your boy over to Pinder. I should, of course, be very glad to
have him here, but I think it is of great advantage to a boy to see
everything done from the first step. She is going to have an entirely new
fit-out both of standing and running rigging, so she has been stripped
entirely, and has nothing but her three lower masts above the deck."

Accordingly, after breakfast next day Mr. Hewson sent for a hackney-coach
and they drove down to the docks.

"That is the _Tiger_," Mr. Hewson said as he stopped at the side of a fine
craft. "She is six hundred tons, three years old, and a fast sailer. She
is not much to look at at present, but when she is in full dress she is a
handsome vessel."

"She looks fast," Mr. Embleton said. "And for myself, I would rather
command a craft of that size than one of greater tonnage."

The _Tiger_ at present certainly did not show to advantage. Her deck was
begrimed with dirt. A body of riggers were at work in parcelling and
serving with spun yarn the eyes of the shrouds. An officer in a rough
canvas suit was superintending the work.

"That is Mr. Staines, the first mate," Mr. Hewson said. "He would not be
happy if he was not on board from the very first hour that the riggers
were beginning their work. Good morning, Mr. Staines!" he went on, raising
his voice. "Is Captain Pinder on board?"

"Yes, sir," the mate said, touching his cap, and then went aft to the
poop-cabin, from which the captain came out as his visitor stepped on
board. He also was in a working suit.

"Good morning, Mr. Hewson!" he said. "We are all in the rough, you see.
One hardly expects visitors on her first day of fitting out."

"We all know that, captain. This is Lieutenant Embleton of the royal navy,
and this is his son, of whom I was speaking to you two days ago."

"I am glad to meet you, sir," the captain said, shaking hands with Mr.
Embleton. "Every sailor knows you by reputation as being one of Lord
Cochrane's officers. It will be a pleasure to me to do all I can for your
son."

"You will find him very different to most of your apprentices, Pinder. He
has had the advantage of his father's teaching, and, theoretically at any
rate, he is already well up in his work. When I tell you that he can take
a lunar, or an o