business, and I don't want her packed full of useless boys. What good
do you expect you could do there?"

"Learn my profession, sir."

"Oh! Ah! H'm! Well--that's smart. Yes, I like that, Mr Burnett,
much better. Well, I don't know what to say. There's no danger.
Perhaps you will be away all the night and get no sleep."

"Shouldn't mind that, sir. Mr Storks said that he wouldn't mind."

"Doesn't matter whether Mr Storks minds or not. Well--yes; you may go.
There, there, no thanks; and--er--and--er--don't take any notice, Mr
Burnett; I am a little irritable this evening--maddening toothache, and
that sort of thing. Don't get into mischief. That'll do."

Commander Glossop, R.N., generally known as Captain of H.M. Gunboat
_Tonans_, on special duty from the Channel Squadron, went below to his
cabin, and Fitzgerald Burnett--Fitz for short--midshipman, seemed
suddenly to have grown an inch taller, and comparatively stouter, as he
seemed to swell out with satisfaction, while his keen grey eyes
literally sparkled as he looked all a boy.

"Thought he was going to snap my head off," he mattered, as he began to
walk up and down, noticing sundry little preparations that were in
progress in connection with one of the quarter-boats, in which, as she
swung from the davits, a couple of the smart, barefooted sailors, whose
toes looked very pink in the chill air, were overhauling and
re-arranging oars, and the little mast, yard and sail, none of which
needed touching, for everything was already in naval apple-pie order.

Fitz Burnett ended his walk by stopping and looking on.

"Going along with us, sir?" said one of the sailors.

"Yes," said the lad shortly, and sharply enough to have satisfied his
superior if he had overheard.

"That's right, sir," said the man, so earnestly that the boy looked
pleased.

"Know where we are going, sir?" the other man ventured to ask.

"Is it likely?" was the reply; "and if I did know do you suppose that I
would tell you?"

"No, sir, of course not. But it's going to be something desperate, sir,
because we have got to take all our tools."

"Ah, you'll see soon enough," said the boy, and full of the importance
of being one in some expedition that was to break the monotony of the
everyday routine, as well as to avoid further questioning, and any
approach to familiarity on the part of the men, Fitz continued his walk,
to come in contact directly after with another superior officer