I suppose
it is Hopkins; in fact, if you are going up the creek, it is sure to
be him, as one of us who went up there before would certainly be
in command. It is rum they're taking the captain's gig. He is very
particular about it, and it is very seldom indeed that even the first
luff uses it."

"I suppose they think it possible that you may be chased, and there
is no doubt she is far away the fastest boat on board. She is not a
dockyard boat, but, as you know, is one the captain had specially built
for himself, and for racing if we were at any station where there were
other warships."

When four o'clock came, and the first lieutenant, with his cloak over
his arm, came out and took his place in the boat, there was a general
look of surprise among the sailors leaning on the rail to see her put
off, for it was a very unusual thing for the first officer to take the
command when only a single boat's crew were going out on any expedition.

"Row easy, men," Mr. Ferguson said, as he sat down on one side of the
coxswain, while Dick took his place on the other. "Drop quietly down the
river. There is my fishing rod by your side, Mr. Balderson; you may as
well begin to put it together at once, so that the natives on shore may
see that we are going on a fishing expedition."

They rowed some ten miles down at a leisurely pace, and then the
boat's grapnel was dropped at a bend of the stream, where the water was
unusually deep, and several baskets of fish had been taken at various
times. A spare rod was brought out from under the seat, and Mr. Ferguson
and Dick began to fish, one on each side of the boat, while the men lay
on their oars, and a look of satisfaction came over their faces as the
lieutenant told them that they could smoke. Hitherto, Dick had been in
ignorance as to the object of the expedition. He had been much surprised
when the order had been given for the boat to row down the river, and it
was therefore evident that it was not the intention of the first officer
to again explore the creek.

Several fish were caught, but as soon as it became dark the lieutenant
said, "You can throw them overboard again, Mr. Balderson; we don't want
any extra weight in the boat, and these fish must weigh thirty pounds at
least. Now what do you suppose we are going to do?"

"I have no idea, sir. I thought that we might be going up the creek that
Lieutenant Hopkins explored the other day, to have another look at the
prahus; but as we