conscious of the
glorious achievement we have accomplished. Paul Gerrard, come up here.
Accept this dirk from me as a slight token of gratitude, and from
henceforth consider yourself a quarter-deck officer--a midshipman."

Paul, his eyes sparkling, his countenance beaming, and his heart
beating, sprang forward, helped on by the arms of the crew, all
sympathising with his feelings. The captain shook him warmly by the
hand before giving him his dirk--an example followed by all the officers
and midshipmen, and by none more cordially than by Devereux and O'Grady.
They then took him by the arm and hurried him below, where he found a
suit of uniform, in which they speedily clothed him and returned with
him in triumph on deck. Their appearance was the signal for the crew to
give three as hearty cheers as ever burst from the throats of a
man-of-war's crew. Paul's heart was too full to speak, and he could
with difficulty stammer out his thanks to his captain. He felt indeed
as if he had already reached the summit of his ambition. The captain
reminded him, however, that he had a long way yet to climb, by observing
that he had only just got his foot on the lower ratline, but that, if he
went on as he had begun, he would certainly, if he lived, get to the
top. The advice was indeed, from beginning to end, very good, but need
not be repeated. Paul was so cordially received in the midshipmen's
berth, that he soon felt himself perfectly at home, though he did not
forget that he had a short time before served at the table at which he
now sat.

The frigates arrived without accident at Jamaica, where the officers and
crew received all the honours and marks of respect they so justly
merited. The _Cerberus_ required no repairs, and the prize was quickly
got ready for sea. Captain Walford, however, suffered so severely from
his wounds, that he was ordered home to recruit his strength. Devereux
and O'Grady had never entirely recovered from their illness, and they
also obtained leave to go home. Paul was very sorry to lose them, not
being aware how much he was himself knocked up by the hardships he had
gone through. Three or four days before the ship was to sail, the
doctor came into the berth, and looking hard at him, desired to feel his
pulse.

"I thought so," he remarked. "You feel rather queer, my boy, don't
you?"

"Yes, sir, very ill," said Paul; "I don't know what is the matter with
me."

"But I do," answered the do