it of a
change. Yes, Mr Rodd, sir, they are down here on some business
pertickler secret and sealed orders; but you wait a bit, sir, and I dare
say one of these days you'll find out."

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

OH, MURTHER!

Rodd was early on deck next morning for his bath, which consisted of so
many buckets of water fresh fished up and dashed upon him by the men as
a makeshift, consequent upon Captain Chubb telling him that he could not
have any swims on account of the sharks. "Can't spare you, my lad," he
had said. "But I haven't seen a shark," grumbled Rodd. "No, my lad,
but they would very soon see you. You never know where those gentlemen
are."

So Rodd went on deck when sea and sky looked dim and a faint mist lay
low upon the surface of the ocean, making everything indistinct. "She's
gone, sir; she's gone!"

"Who's she, and where has she gone?" said Rodd, rather sleepily.

"The _Diadem_, sir."

"What, the sloop of war? Not she! You will see her come peeping out of
the fog yonder before long."

"Nay, sir; she's gone right off, and it's all right. My word, I wish we
had got a fiddle here!"

"A fiddle! What for?"

"Hornpipe, sir. The boys are all bubbling over and don't know how to
bear themselves. Nothing like a few kicks up and down the deck to a
well-played old tune, to get rid of it all."

"Why, what are you talking about?" cried Rodd.

"Talking about, sir? Ah, you never knowed what it was to be a sailor,
and when you are free never knowing for a moment how soon you may be
pressed. Why, I don't believe there was a man Jack on us as slept a
wink last night with thinking about this morning."

"What, for fear you would be pressed, after what uncle said?"

"Ay, ay, sir. Your uncle meant right enough, and he believed what he
said, and that there lieutenant was civil enough; but a second
lieutenant aren't a first lieutenant, sir, and a first lieutenant aren't
a post-captain. We all talked a bit last night, and put that and that
together, and Isaac Gregg, who aren't a very wise chap--you see, sir,
he's got too much fat about him to leave room for anything else--but he
said something smart last night. `Yes,' he says, `my lads, that all
sounds right enough, but suppose when that boat got back the captain
says, Yes, he says, it's all very well, and I dare say that there gent
got leave from Government to man his schooner and come down here
bottling sea-leeches and other insects of that ki