d Thomas Atkins sat
themselves down to a convivial evening. Pipes were produced, and some
thoughtful fellow extracting a concertina from the depths of a kit-bag,
an impromptu concert was commenced and kept up till "lights out."

"This kind of thing won't be allowed every night, I expect," said Phil,
as he sat by Tony's side, for many of the sailors, liberally helped to a
portion of the soldiers' rum, were reeling away to their quarters.

"Ah! well, it's only the first night out, mate, mind that. The
officers, I expect, knows about it as well as we do, but they knows the
boys want cheering. But I expects there'll be a change."

And as a matter of fact there was, for on the following day, when the
hour for the serving out of grog came round, the men were drawn up in
their several messes. Then under the eye of the sergeant-major one mess
was served, and at the order, "Men served one pace forward and swallow,"
the spirit disappeared.

It was a strange feeling to lie for the first time in a hammock, but the
men took to it like ducks to water.

"It's jolly comfortable, and ever so much softer than a barrack-bed,
ain't it, Phil?" remarked Tony, as he lay full length close beside his
friend, with only his face showing, and a pipe projecting from his lips.

"I've slept in a harder bed many a time," laughed Phil. "But I'm tired;
so good-night, Tony!"

At 6:30 a.m. the next morning _reveille_ sounded through the ship, and
the men tumbled out, to find a fresh, cold breeze blowing and a nasty
sea on. Faces fell, for soldiers, like other mortals, fall victims to
_mal de mer_. Breakfasts were looked at askance, and scarcely touched,
and soon the rails were almost as thickly crowded as on the previous
day.

"Lummy! How jolly bad I feel!" groaned Tony. "I'm off to me bunk as
fast as me feet will take me."

Phil nodded curtly, and very soon followed his example, for he too was
not exactly enjoying himself.

On the following day the ship was on an even keel once more, and bright
faces and merry jokes were everywhere. In seven days Gibraltar was
reached, but no one was allowed to land, and no sooner had the ship
coaled than she paddled on to Malta. Arrived there, the troops
disembarked, to hear the welcome news that France and England had
declared war on Russia on the day after their sailing.

"That's all right, then!" exclaimed Tony with a grunt of satisfaction.
"We shall soon have a taste of fighting, and the soon