rwent. Now, the real culprit was young Malcolm, who, to
oblige the captain, had taken his station at the foretop-gallant
mast-head, because the dog "Ponto" thought proper to cut off his own
tail. The first-lieutenant, in his own woe, forgot that of others; and
it was not until nine o'clock at night, that Malcolm, who thought that
he had stayed up quite long enough, ventured below, when he was informed
of what had taken place.

The youngster immediately penned a letter to the captain acknowledging
that he was the offender, and requesting that Mr Aveleyn might not be
discharged from the service; he also ventured to add a postscript,
begging that the same lenity might be extended towards himself; which
letter was sent on shore by the captain's gig, when it left the ship the
next morning, and was received by Captain L--- at the very same time
that young Aveleyn, who had not been sent on shore till late in the
evening, called upon the captain to request a reprieve from his hard
sentence.

The boy sent up his name and was immediately admitted.

"I presume you know why you are discharged from the service?" said
Captain L---, smiling benignantly.

"Yes, sir," replied the boy, holding his head down submissively,
"because of that accident--I'm very sorry, sir."

"Of course you must, and ought to be. Such heavy blows are not common,
and hard to bear. I presume you go immediately to Buckhurst?"

"I suppose I must, sir; but I hope, Captain L---, that you'll look over
it."

"I shall have very great pleasure in so doing," replied Captain L---; "I
hear that it is--"

"Thanky, sir, thanky," replied the youngster, interrupting the captain.
"Then I may go on board again and tell the first-lieutenant?"

"Tell the first-lieutenant what?" cried Captain L---, perceiving some
mistake. "Why, has not Mr W--- told you?"

"Yes, sir, he told me it was your orders that I should be dismissed his
Majesty's service."

"Discharged--not dismissed. And I presume he told you why: because your
two elder brothers are dead, and you are now Lord Aveleyn."

"No, sir!" cried the youngster with astonishment; "because his three
front teeth are knocked out with a bottle of _scaldchops_ and I would
not peach who stowed it away in the bunt of the sail."

"This is excessively strange!" replied Captain L---. "Do me the favour
to sit down, my lord; the letters from the ship will probably explain
the affair."

There was, however, no explanation,