entered on board the
_Saint Vincent_, for I had never got into any trouble beyond a slight
scrape or two; but tow the Fates, as if to condone the previous good
fortune with which they had favoured me, all at once did me a very bad
turn, getting me into sad disgrace.

Serious as the matter was, no doubt, in the eyes of the authorities, it
was not, however, such a very terrible crime in itself, though it got me
into the bad books of the captain, who had been so friendly disposed
towards me that he often used to let me take his dog `Gyp' for a walk
when I went ashore.

The fact was, to confess my sin outright, I committed a breach of one of
the strictest regulations of the training service.

I was caught smoking.

But, I had better tell you all about it from the first to the last, and
then, you'll be able to judge for yourself of the heinousness of my
offence.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

I GET INTO DISGRACE.

After that first cruise of mine in the little _Martin_, I was at home
one Saturday afternoon, having had permission from the captain--being
what they call `a local boy,' my parents residing in Portsmouth--to
remain ashore till Sunday evening at sunset. It was now summer-time,
and I was sitting in our back garden, which was more extensive than
might have been expected from the surroundings of Bonfire Corner, the
house, as I have said, being an old-fashioned one and father having
bought the freehold for a mere song in the days when property in Portsea
did not fetch such a high price as at present. The pink and white
blossoms of the apple-trees, of which we had a tidy number round the
garden, had dropped off long ere now and the fruit was beginning to
form; but there were plenty of roses still out, and all sorts of old-
fashioned flowers, filling the air with fragrance.

I was enjoying myself to rights under the shade of an ancient mulberry-
tree, which must have been planted in the time of Queen Elizabeth I
should think, judging by its gnarled trunk and huge twisted branches.

Some of these hung rather low, and Jenny had brought out Jack our thrush
and suspended his cage along with those of our piping bullfinch and some
of the canaries, just above a rustic table, having an old armchair that
had seen its better days, in front of it, which was father's favourite
seat when at home and the weather was not too bad to go out of doors.

Here was his pipe and tobacco-jar, just as he left them in the morning,
it being