ere he had come from, and
whether he had fallen in with any strange ships. "And now, captain,"
said he, quite calmly, "I should just like to see your crew. Muster
them on deck, if you please. You've a large number," he remarked, as
soon as we all appeared. The captain told him how he had picked so many
of us up at sea. "Ho, ho!" said the lieutenant; "come here, my lads;
you'd be glad to serve his Majesty, I know."

And he told all the crew of the _Montezuma_, except the captain and
first mate, to get into his boat.

There was no little grumbling at this, but he did not appear like a man
who would stand any nonsense of this sort, so it went no further. "But
those two are apprentices," said Captain Horner, pointing to Charley and
me, and forgetting that we were both out of our indentures.

"Stout lads for apprentices," remarked the lieutenant. "Let me see your
papers." Now it might have been said, as we had been wrecked, that we
had lost them, but I would not tell a lie to gain any object.

"Please, sir," said I, "the captain makes a mistake. I was out of my
indentures a few days ago. I've no protection, and I don't want any.
I, for one, am ready to serve his Majesty and to fight for my country."

Charley hearing me say this, declared himself of the same mind, and
wishing Captain Horner and the captain of the Honduras ship good-bye,
and thanking them, we went over to the side ready to step into the boat.
The lieutenant said he liked our spirit, and that he should keep his
eye on us, and if we behaved well he should recommend us for promotion.
This was satisfactory, but still I felt that all my prospects of
becoming a mate were blown to the wind. The person who felt it most was
Mr Merton. From being an officer (and a gentleman he always was) he
was reduced to the rank of a common seaman. What was far worse, too, he
was engaged to be married, as soon as he returned home, to the daughter
of a clergyman, who, Charley told me, was quite a lady. Now, poor
fellow, for what he could tell, years might pass before he would be able
to return on shore.

"Well, my man, are you ready to go?" said the lieutenant to him.

"I was second mate of the ship, and have private affairs which require
my presence in England, sir," he answered, quite calmly; and his voice
showed that he was a man of education.

"That is no protection, I am afraid," said the lieutenant. "Duty is not
always pleasant, but it must be done."

"V