ou. The rest of the crew we must make
up as best we can. Marline will be a quartermaster; are either of the
others fit for petty officers?"

"Well, sir, Hartland is fit for anything, I'll say that of him; and so
would Fid be, if he was more steady and had some education; but though
there is not a fellow I would more trust to in a scrimmage, or to have
at my back when boarding an enemy, he can't depend on himself, if
there's any mischief under weigh, and that's the worst of him."

"Well, then, I'll make Fid boatswain's mate, and then you can have an
eye on him, and keep him in order. As to Hartland, he has been very
steady ever since I have known him, some six years or more. What say
you, if we get him an appointment as acting gunner? He is as well
fitted for the duties as any man I can put my hand on."

"That he is, Sir Henry!" exclaimed True Blue warmly. "There isn't a man
in the service you can more depend on in every way than Harry Hartland,
and there isn't one I would rather have as a brother officer, for we
have, as it were, been brothers ever since he came to sea."

So it was arranged; and Harry Hartland found himself, beyond his most
sanguine expectations, appointed as acting gunner of the _Rover_.

The refitting of the _Rover_ progressed rapidly, while, by degrees, a
number of very fair seamen were picked up. She still wanted more than a
third of her number, when the _Gannet_ received orders to return to
England, and Captain Brine allowed those of his crew who wished to do so
to volunteer for the brig. Here would be evidence whether or not Sir
Henry Elmore and his second lieutenant, and especially his two young
warrant-officers, were popular with their late shipmates.

On the offer being made them, nearly every man on board volunteered for
the _Rover_. Only thirty, however, were allowed to go; but they were
all prime hands, with the exception of Sam Smatch, whose love for True
Blue overcame every other consideration.

"Ah, Mr Freeborn, I come wid you, you see," he said, stepping on board
the brig. "I no call you Billy now, 'cause you great officer, and right
glad to see you; but so I officer very great too. Ship's cook. If the
crew not eat, what become of dem?"

Sam, who was a sheet or two in the wind,--that is to say, not as sober
as he should have been,--was winking and smiling all the time he was
speaking, as if he wished True Blue to understand that though he was
fully aware of the change