burly, red-faced man with stiff whiskers, was
every now and then asking people how he could be expected to have clear
decks when his ship was being turned into a farmyard.

This recalled the live stock on board, and Nic went forward to have a
look at the cattle in their pens, where they were contentedly enough
munching away at the hay placed ready for them, while the dogs, which
recognised Nic, began to tug furiously at their chains, and made their
eyes seem ready to start from their heads as they tried to strangle
themselves by straining at their collars.

Nic was leaning over the pen in which they were chained up, patting and
caressing them, when a gruff voice cried fiercely:

"Those dogs yours?"

"Not exactly. They're for Sir John O'Hara."

"Then I wish he'd got 'em. Who's to move with all these things on
board?"

"What's, the matter, Buller?" said a bronzed man, coming up.

"Matter, sir? everything. There isn't a man aboard fit to pull a rope,
and I can't move without breaking my shins over cats and dogs, and all
this here Tower mynadgery. Is the skipper going to start a farm?"

"Get on, man, and don't make so much noise."

"Noise, sir!" growled the boatswain, for it was he; and he looked hard
at a couple of officers in undress uniform, whose attention had been
taken by the dogs.

"It's enough to make any one grumble. I'm 'customed to tea and rice and
a few passengers. I don't understand all this--ship turned into a
live-stock show, a barracks, and a farm all in one."

He went off growling, and the mate turned to the officers.

"A bit rusty, gentlemen," he said, smiling. "It will soon wear off, as
we get shipshape."

"Sooner the better," said one of the officers, who turned to the dogs,
and had a look at them before speaking to Nic.

"Yours?" he said.

"I have charge of them."

"Then you are a passenger?"

"Yes; I'm going out with Lady O'Hara."

"The governor's wife! Well, how do you think you will like the sea?"

"Oh, very well," said Nic. "Of course I shan't like it when it's
rough."

"Nor anybody," said the officer, "eh, Harvey?"

"I shall not," said the gentleman addressed, as he pulled the setter's
long ears.

"So long as it isn't rough. Well, as we are to be fellow-passengers all
through the voyage, we may as well be friends and go through our
introductions. Who are you?"

Nic told him.

"Going to join your people, eh? Well, that's pleasant. We are going to
leave o