he roof downward_, and he was told that "rain
come, walls muchee hurt, so put up roof first!"

Having now reached the farthest point of his voyage, Frank began to
think about getting home again, and finding that all who had shipped on
the _Arizona_ were entitled, by the terms of their agreement, to a free
passage in the next homeward-bound steamer, he went down to the
company's office to get his ticket.

As he passed the open window a familiar voice from within caught his
ear. It was that of his Captain, who was having a talk with the
company's agent.

"I really don't know whom to send with this cargo," said the agent. "It
_must_ go in a day or two, and none of my clerks can be spared. Do _you_
know of anybody, Gray?"

"Well, there's a young fellow who came out with me, that might do. He's
rather young, certainly, but I put him in charge at Singapore, and he
did very well. Hello! there he is. Austin!"

Frank entered, cap in hand.

"My lad," said the Captain, "we're sending a cargo of tin and opium to
Canton, and you might take it up, unless you'd rather go home."

"I _was_ thinking of going, sir," said Austin; "but if you have anything
for me to do till I can get letters from home, I shall be very glad to
do it."

"All right, my boy. Just look in here to-morrow morning, and we'll
arrange it."

The next morning, sure enough, Frank received his appointment, and set
sail up the river for Canton a few days later, with a handful of the
_Arizona's_ picked men for his crew, and old Herrick as his second in
command--the latter remarking, with a grin, that "'twarn't a bad start
for a youngster to begin his first v'y'ge as coal-heaver, and end it as
Cap'n."

* * * * *

Our hero's farther adventures in China--how he succeeded so well with
his first cargo as to be at once intrusted with a second--how he
received letters from home, reporting all well--how he studied the ins
and outs of the "up-country" trade, and the ways of the Chinese, finding
both very different from what he had imagined--and how he soon got a
good appointment in the office, which he held for several years--would
make too long a story to be told here. But he always bore in mind the
last words of old Herrick, which were:

"Frank, my son, next time you meet a young feller wantin' to run away to
sea, jist you tell him you've tried it yourself, and 'tain't so nice as
it looks. If a lad goes to sea 'cause he's fit for it,