_wrinkle_!"

"How many officers do you expect, Captain Oughton."

"I hardly know, they make such alterations in their arrangements; five
or six, I believe. The boat went on shore for them at nine o'clock.
They have sent her back, with their compliments, seven times already,
full of luggage. There's one lieutenant, I forget his name, whose
chests alone would fill up the main-deck. There's six under the
half-deck," said Captain Oughton, pointing to them.

"Lieutenant Winterbottom," observed Newton, reading the name.

"I wish to Heaven that he had remained the winter, or that his chests
were all to the bottom! I don't know where the devil we are to stow
them. O! here they come! Boatswain's mate, 'tend the side there."

In a minute or thereabouts, the military gentlemen made their appearance
one by one on the quarter-deck, scrutinising their gloves as they bade
adieu to the side-ropes, to ascertain if they had in any degree been
defiled by the adhesive properties of the pitch and tar.

Captain Oughton advanced to receive them. "Welcome, gentlemen," said
he, "welcome on board. We trip our anchor in half an hour. I am afraid
that I have not the pleasure of knowing your names, and must request the
honour of being introduced."

"Major Clavering, sir," said the major, a tall handsome man, gracefully
taking off his hat; "the officers who accompany are (waving his hand
towards them in succession) Lieutenant Winterbottom."

Lieutenant Winterbottom bowed.

"I've had the pleasure of reading Lieutenant Winterbottom's name several
times this forenoon," observed Captain Oughton, as he returned the
salute.

"You refer to my luggage, I'm afraid, Captain Oughton?"

"Why, if I must say it, I certainly think you have enough for a
general."

"I can only reply, that I wish my rank were equal to my luggage: but it
is a _general_ complaint every time I have the misfortune to embark. I
trust, Captain Oughton, it will be the only one you will have to make of
me during the passage."

Major Clavering, who had waited during this dialogue, continued--

"Captain Majoribanks, whom I ought to apologise to for not having
introduced first."

"Not at all, major: you just heard the brevet rank which Winterbottom's
baggage has procured him."

"Not the first time a man has obtained rank through his `baggage,'"
observed one of the officers, _sotto voce_.

"Mr Ansell, Mr Petres, Mr Irving."

The necessary bows were exchanged, an