This remark somewhat raised Ralph's spirits. The captain himself had
observed his activity and neat appearance, and the thorough way in which
he did everything to which he put his hand. One day the signalman was
on the sick-list. The post is a responsible one when a number of ships
are sailing in company, as a watch has to be kept on the whole fleet and
signals constantly made and answered. The captain sent for Ralph, and
after a few questions directed him to attend to the duty. He performed
it with his usual attention and intelligence. It kept him also on the
quarter-deck and under the eyes of the officers. As is customary, the
midshipmen assembled under the master each day at noon and at other
periods with their sextants or quadrants to take observations. Some of
the younger ones Ralph remarked handled their instruments rather
clumsily, and evidently did not understand their use.

"I say, Dickenson, for the life of me I cannot manage to shoot the old
sun with this thing, it only puts my eyes out; and yesterday again my
day's work was all wrong somehow or other," said Mr Paul Chandos, a
youngster who had just come to sea, to another midshipman who had also
not been many months in the Navy.

"I'm sure I can't help you," answered Dickenson, a gawky lad, with a
hopeless glance at his quadrant. "It seems a very useless expenditure
of our valuable eyesight when it's the proper business of the master,
and those fellows the master's assistants, to find out whereabouts the
ship is."

"Still, I should like to know how to use this thing properly, for the
captain is sure to find out if I don't; and besides, some day I may have
command of a vessel, and I should look very foolish if I didn't know how
to find my way in her," said young Chandos, putting the quadrant to his
eye and imitating the master, who with the rest of the midshipmen stood
at some distance off.

"It will be so long before either of us have that chance that I don't
intend to trouble myself about the matter," answered the other
midshipman, swinging his quadrant backwards and forwards as if he felt
inclined to throw it overboard. Still Chandos persevered.

"If you like, I shall be happy to show you how to take an observation,
and the way to work it out," said Ralph, touching his hat, though he
felt more compassion than respect for the youngster.

"I wish you would, Michelmore," answered young Chandos, in a grateful
tone; "I have been bothering aw