eutenant touched his hat, and reported twelve
o'clock to the captain--the captain touched his hat, and told the first
lieutenant to make it so. The officer of the watch touched his hat, and
asked the captain whether they should pipe to dinner--the captain
touched his hat and said, "If you please."

The midshipman received his orders, and touched his hat, which he gave
to the head boatswain's mate, who touched his hat, and then the calls
whistled cheerily.

"Well," thought Jack, "politeness seems to be the order of the day, and
every one has an equal respect for the other." Jack stayed on deck; he
peeped through the ports, which were open, and looked down into the deep
blue wave; he cast his eyes aloft, and watched the tall spars sweeping
and tracing with their points, as it were, a small portion of the clear
sky, as they acted in obedience to the motion of the vessel; he looked
forward at the range of carronades which lined the sides of the deck,
and then he proceeded to climb one of the carronades, and lean over the
hammocks to gaze on the distant land.

"Young gentleman, get off those hammocks," cried the master, who was
officer of the watch, in a surly tone.

Jack looked round.

"Do you hear me, sir? I'm speaking to you," said the master again.

Jack felt very indignant, and he thought that politeness was not quite
so general as he supposed.

It happened that Captain Wilson was upon deck.

"Come here, Mr Easy," said the captain; "it is a rule in the service,
that no one gets on the hammocks, unless in case of emergency--I never
do--nor the first lieutenant--nor any of the officers or men--therefore,
upon the principle of equality, you must not do it either."

"Cerainly not, sir," replied Jack, "but still I do not see why that
officer in the shining hat should be so angry, and not speak to me as if
I were a gentleman, as well as himself."

"I have already explained that to you, Mr Easy."

"Oh, yes, I recollect now, it's zeal; but this zeal appears to me to be
the only unpleasant thing in the service. It's a pity, as you said,
that the service cannot do without it."

Captain Wilson laughed, and walked away; and shortly afterwards, as he
turned up and down the deck with the master, he hinted to him that he
should not speak so sharply to a lad who had committed such a trifling
error through ignorance. Now Mr Smallsole, the master, who was a surly
sort of a personage, and did not like even a hint of dis