to do."

True Blue hurried along the deck till he reached the Captain's cabin,
then hat in hand he entered, and, pulling a lock of his hair, stood
humbly at the foot of the table. He saw that the Captain and Mr Brine,
and the two midshipmen, Sir Henry Elmore and Mr Nott, were there, and
two or three strange gentlemen from the shore.

"Sit down, Freeborn," said the Captain, pointing to a chair, which, very
much to his surprise, Mr Nott got up and placed near him. "It is now a
good many years since we were first shipmates, and during all that time
I have only seen and heard good of you, and now I wish to thank you most
heartily for the gallant way in which you saved Sir Henry Elmore's life.
He and all his family wish also to show what they feel in the way most
likely to be acceptable to you."

"Indeed they do. You performed a very gallant, noble action, young man,
one to be proud of!" observed one of the gentlemen from the shore, who
was an uncle of Sir Henry. "On what have you especially set your heart?
What would you like to do? I suppose that you would not wish to leave
the navy?"

"No, that I would not, sir," answered True Blue warmly. "But I know,
sir, what I would like to do."

"What is it, my man? Speak out frankly at once!" said the gentleman.
"I have no doubt that we shall be able to do as you wish."

"Then, sir, it's this," said True Blue, brightening up. "They've
carried Paul Pringle to the hospital. Captain Garland knows the man,
sir--my godfather. He'll be alone there, nobody particular to look
after him; and what I should like, sir, would be to be allowed to go and
stay with him till he is well and about again, or till the ship sails,
when I don't think godfather would wish me to stay on shore even to be
with him."

The gentlemen looked at each other, and then at the Captain and Mr
Brine, who did not seem surprised, though Johnny Nott appeared a little
inclined to laugh.

"A seaman thinks less of jumping overboard to save the life of a
fellow-creature than you would of picking a drunken man up out of the
road," said the Captain, addressing the gentleman. "You must propose
something to him. He will not suggest anything himself."

"I think, Freeborn, I may easily promise that you will be allowed to
remain with your old friend as long as he wishes it," said the Captain,
turning to True Blue. "But I am sure Sir Henry's family will not be
satisfied without showing some mark of their esteem