who was passing stopped, eyed me sharply,
and then held out his hand. It was my old skipper, Captain Brisac.

"Ah, Chester!" he exclaimed; "I am glad to see you, my lad--glad too
that you are on your pins once more, though you are looking very thin
and pale about the gills. How is the wound; pretty well healed up?
That's right; but you ought not to be standing about in this hot sun.
Are you here on duty?"

I told him I was, mentioning at the same time the annoyance and
inconvenience to which I had just been subjected.

"Where is the stuff they offered you?" said he; "I should like to have a
look at it."

It was still lying on the wharf, close at hand, and I pointed it out to
him. It was a quantity of hemp cordage, for use principally as
standing-rigging. He turned it over, inspecting it carefully, laying
open the strands here and there, and testing its quality both by sight
and smell. Finally he turned upon one of the storekeepers who happened
to be passing, and said,--

"Here, you sir, is this the best stuff you have in store?"

The man hesitated and looked confused for a moment; then put a bold face
upon the matter, and replied, "Yes, sir, it is; and rare good stuff it
is, too; it's the best that's made."

"Oh! it is, is it?" retorted the skipper. "Then I think it is about
time that the Admiral's attention should be directed to the quality of
the rigging upon which the safety of his Majesty's ships and the lives
of their seamen depend. Just lay that coil aside for half an hour, if
you please; and if any one asks why you have done so, you may say it was
at the request of Captain Brisac of the `Audacious.'"

The man's visage lengthened out to a portentous extent. He saw he had
brought his pigs to the wrong market for once, and he hurriedly
exclaimed,--

"Beg pardon, sir, I'm very sorry the stuff is not to your liking; but I
think we _can_ suit you, if you'll be so good as to step this way.
Perhaps that other _is_ rather old, but we've a lot of it in store, and
we're bound to get rid of it somehow. Now here, sir, is some cordage
that was only brought in fresh last week from the ropemaker's; how'll
that do, sir?"

"Ah!" said the captain, examining it critically, "that is nearer the
mark, decidedly. That ought to do for you, ought it not, Mr Chester?"
turning to me.

"Perfectly well, sir," I replied. "I should be quite satisfied to be
served with rope of that quality."

"Have you your order with