in the shape of cruelty to animals was about to be perpetrated.

Mr Capstan only ordered the men to hook on the tackle by which the head
of the anchor was to be braced up; and, before he could say "Jack
Robinson," if he had been that way inclined, the falls were manned and
the anchor run up to the cathead with a rousing chorus as the men
scampered aft with the tail-end of the rope.

The headyards were then filled, and the ship bowed her head as if in
salute to Father Neptune, the next instant gathering way as the sails
began to draw.

"Port!" sang out the pilot from the bridge.

"Port it is," responded the man at the wheel, shifting the spokes with
both hands like a squirrel in a cage, it seemed to Teddy, who was
looking at him from the break of the poop, where he had taken up his
station by Captain Lennard's orders so that he might the more easily see
all that was going on.

"Steady!"

"Steady it is," repeated the helmsman in parrot fashion.

And so, conning and steering along, the _Greenock_ was soon bounding on
her way down channel, passing Deal and rounding the South Foreland
before noon.

Teddy at last was really at sea!

CHAPTER TEN.

TAKING FRENCH LEAVE.

The weather was beautifully fine for October, with a bright warm sun
shining down and lighting up the water, which curled and crested before
the spanking nor'-east breeze, that brought with it that bracing tone
which makes the month, in spite of its autumnal voice warning us of the
approach of winter, one of the most enjoyable in our changeable
climate--especially to those dwelling along the south coast, which the
good ship _Greenock_ now trended by on her passage out of the Channel.

Teddy as yet, although this was his first experience of "a life on the
ocean wave," was not sea-sick; for, although the vessel heeled well over
to the wind on the starboard tack she did not roll, but ploughed through
the little wavelets as calmly as if on a mill-pond, only rising now and
again to make a graceful courtesy to some cross current that brought a
swell over from the opposite shore of France, for after passing Beachy
Head she kept well off the land on the English side.

A west-nor'-west course brought the _Greenock_ off Saint Catharine's
Point; but the evening had drawn in too much for Teddy to see anything
of the Isle of Wight, and when he woke up next morning the ship was
abreast of the Start Point.

From thence, he had a fair view of the Devon an