t would be a long job, Dick," said Bob laughing. "But I say, don't
you wish you had gone with the hunting-party?"

"Yah!" said Dick, assuming a look of great disgust and contempt,
although he had been growling and acting, as his mates said, like a bear
with a sore head, because he could not go. "Not I, sir, not I. Why,
what have they gone to do? Shoot a big cat all brown stripes. I don't
want to spend my time ketching cats. What's the good on 'em when
they've got 'em? Only to take their skins. Now there is some sense in
a bit of fishing."

"Especially when your crew in the boat goes to sleep, and let's you be
surprised by the Malays."

"Ah, but don't you see, sir," said Dick, with his eyes twinkling,
"that's a kind o' moral lesson for a young officer? Here was the case
you see: the skipper goes to sleep, and don't look after his crew, who,
nat'rally enough, thinks what the skipper does must be right, and they
does the same."

"Oh! all right, master Dick," said the middy. "I'll take the lesson to
heart. Don't you ever let me catch you asleep, that's all."

"No, sir," said the old sailor, grinning, "I won't. I've got too much
of the weasel in me. But as I was saying, sir, there's some sense in a
bit o' fishing, and I thought if so be you liked I'd get the lines
ready."

"No, Dick, no," said Bob, firmly, as he recalled Lieutenant Johnson's
words over the breakfast-table. "I've no time for fishing to-day. And
besides, I'm in charge of the ship."

"Oh! indeed, sir," said Dick. "I beg pardon, sir."

"Look here, Dick," said Bob sharply, "don't you sneer at your officer
because he makes free with you sometimes."

The middy turned and walked off, leaving Dick cutting himself a fresh
plug of tobacco.

"He'll make a smart 'un by-and-by, that he will," muttered the old
fellow, nodding his head admiringly; "and I'm sorry I said what I did to
the high-sperretted little chap, for he's made of the real stuff, after
all."

On the island, Tom Long was feeling quite as important as the middy. A
keen sense of disappointment was troubling him, but he would not show
it. He had several times over been looking at his gun, and thinking
that it would carry a bullet as well as a rifle, and wishing that he
could have game to try it. But soon afterwards he encountered pleasant
Mrs Major Sandars.

"Ah! Mr Long," she cried, "I've just been seeing Miss Linton and Miss
Sinclair. Now you know you have these deserted