serve on board a man-of-war,
I will not hinder you," said Owen, as they walked towards the house.

"I would rather you should remain on board the dear old ship, to act as
Owen's mate," observed Norah; "but if our father allows you to go on
board the _Champion_, neither will I try to alter your determination."

Captain Olding had come up to the house to inquire after his lieutenant.
He and Captain Tracy had been shipmates in their younger days. He was
well pleased, he said, to be able to forward the views of his friend's
son. It was therefore settled that Gerald should join the _Champion_ at
once, and Norah was busy from morning till night in preparing his
outfit. Captain Tracy was now able to get about, and even to
superintend the repairs of the _Ouzel Galley_. He secretly was somewhat
proud of having a son belonging to the Royal Navy. It was the road to
honour and fame; Gerald might some day become one of England's admirals.
Still, had the captain intended to continue at sea himself, he would
have wished to keep his boy with him, and he would also gladly have had
him accompany Owen Massey. Gerald himself was in high glee; he made
frequent trips down to the _Champion_, and always came back with some
fresh account of what she had done, and of what his future messmates,
the midshipmen, fully expected she would do. He described them to Norah
as first-rate, jolly fellows, up to all sorts of fun.

"And you may tell Miss Ferris, if you like," he added, "that they all
say there isn't a more gallant officer in the service than Lieutenant
Foley, and they hope that he'll soon get well and rejoin the ship. They
don't speak quite so favourably of her first lieutenant, Jonah Tarwig,
who seems as if he had swallowed the mizen-royal-mast as he was looking
aloft one stormy night when the ship was taken aback and it was carried
away. He is six feet two in height--how he manages to stow himself in
his berth it is hard to say, but it is supposed that he doubles his legs
back, for as to coiling away his body, that would be impossible. The
master, old Billhook, is a rough diamond, but he understands navigation,
and spins tough yarns by the score; I'll tell you some of them one of
these days. The purser, Simon Cheeseparings--that isn't his real name--
was a slopseller in Wapping, but outran his creditors and had to come to
sea to escape from Newgate; and the doctor's a Scotchman whose name
begins with Mac, and for brevity's sake