for the ups and downs. As I hope to have some of the ups, I
must make up my mind to be content with a few of the downs."

"Well, well! There's no making you unhappy," growled out old Grim.
"Now, you don't mean to say this duff is fit food for Christians," he
exclaimed, sticking his fork into a somewhat hard piece of pudding.

"It's fit for hungry boys at sea," answered Bill; "and I only wish that
my brothers and sisters had as good beef and pork for dinner, not to
speak of peas-pudding and duff, as we have got every day. I should like
to send them some of mine, and yours too, if you do not eat it."

"Well, as we cannot live on nothing, I am obliged to eat it, good or
bad," answered old Grim; "and as to giving you some of mine, why, I
don't see that there's overmuch I get for myself."

"I did not ask it for myself, and I am glad to see you do not find it
too bad to eat after all," said Bill, observing that old Grim cleared
his plate of every particle of food it contained.

Tommy Rebow used to amuse himself by trying to tease Grimshaw, not that
he would stand much from him, or from anybody else; and often Tommy had
to make a quick jump of it to get out of his way. Still he would return
to the charge till Grim got fearfully vexed with him. Bill himself
never teased old Grim or anybody else. It was not his nature. He could
laugh with them as much as they might please, but he never could laugh
at them, or jeer them. Old Grim really liked Bill, though he took an
odd way of showing it sometimes. Bill, indeed, soon became a favourite
on board, just because he was so good-natured and happy, and was ready
to oblige any one.

Captain Trevelyan did not forget his promise to Bill's mother; and
though of course he did not say much to the lad, it was very evident
that he had his eye on him, as he had indeed, more or less, on everybody
on board. He took care that Bill should learn his duties. There were
several young gentlemen on board in the midshipman's berth; and the
captain had for their use a model built of the ship's masts and rigging.
He used to have them up every morning in fine weather, and make them
learn all the names and uses of the ropes. Then he would make them put
the ship about, or wear ship, or heave her to. Then he would have the
yards braced up, then squared, then braced up on the other tack, and so
forth. The ship's boys were made to stand by, to watch these
proceedings, and then they were called