the gun room were the three lieutenants, the
doctor, the lieutenant of the marines, and the chief engineer. The crew
consisted of a hundred and fifty seamen and forty marines; the Serpent
having a somewhat strong complement. She had been sent out specially
for service in the rivers, being of lighter draught than usual, with
unusually airy and spacious decks, and so was well fitted for the work.
The conversation in the junior mess of the Serpent was very lively that
evening. The vessel since her arrival on the station had made two runs
between Singapore and Penang, but those on board had seen but little
of the country, and were delighted at the thought of a possibility of
active service, and the talk was all of boat expeditions, attacks from
piratical prahus, of the merits of the bayonet and rifle opposed to kris
and spear, and of sporting expeditions in which elephants, tigers, and
other wild beasts were to fall victims of their prowess.

"You will find that you won't get much of that," the mate, who was
president of the mess, said, after listening to their anticipations
of sport. "I have been on the west coast of Africa and know what it is
poking about in muddy creeks in boats, tramping through the jungle, knee
deep in mud, half the crew down with fever, and the rest worn out with
work and heat. I can tell you it is not all fun, as you youngsters seem
to think, but downright hard work."

"Ah, well! any amount of work is better than standing here doing
nothing," Dick said cheerfully, for the mate was known as a proverbial
grumbler. He had been unfortunate, and, as is usually the case, his
misfortunes were in some degree due to himself, for he was fond of
liquor, and although, when on board, he took no more than his share, he
was often somewhat unsteady in his speech when he returned from a run
ashore; and although the matter was not grave enough for his captains to
report altogether unfavorably of him, it was sufficiently so for them
to shrink from recommending him for promotion, and in consequence he had
seen scores of younger men raised over his head. He had been for some
time unemployed before he had joined the Serpent, and had been appointed
to her only because Captain Forest, who was a friend of his family, had
used his interest on his behalf. He had, however, when he joined, spoken
frankly to him.

"I have asked for you, Morrison," he said, "simply for the sake of your
father; but I tell you frankly, that unless