me to do it now, sir, if your
razor is feeling a bit dull?"

"Now, look here, old Dick Dunnage," said the middy; "that's cheek; and I
won't have cheek from you, so I tell you."

"Cheek, sir," said the old sailor, with assumed innocence. "I didn't
mean to shave only your cheek, sir, but your chin as well."

"Now that'll do, Dick. I'm not ashamed of having no beard, and I'm not
ashamed of being a boy, so now then."

"Course you ain't, sir. There, I didn't mean nothing disrespectful. It
was only my fun. This here 'bacca as you give me, sir, baint the best I
ever had. Lor! how hot them poor fellows do look, buttoned and belted
up as they is," he continued, as the soldiers fell into line. "It's a
deal better to be a sailor, Master Bob."

"Ever so much, Dick," said the middy. "How long is it since you were
out here, Dick?"

"How long, sir?" and the sailor thoughtfully, as he sprinkled the sea
with a little tobacco juice; "six year."

"And have you been more than once, Dick?"

"Four times altogether, sir. Let's see: I was at Singapore, and at
Penang, and Malacky, and up the country at a place they called Bang, or
Clang, or something or another."

"And what sort of a country is it, Dick?" said the boy eagerly.

"Wonderful country; all palm-trees and jungles, and full of rivers and
creeks, where the long row-boats, as they call prahus, runs up."

"Those are the pirates' boats, Dick?"

"That's right, sir; and precious awkward things they are to catch, Lord
love you! I've been after 'em in cutter and pinnace, firing our bow gun
among them, and the men pulling like mad to get up alongside; but they
generally dodged in and out of some of these mangrove creeks till they
give us the slip, and we had to pull back."

"Shouldn't I like to be in chase of one of the scoundrelly prahus!"
cried the lad, with his eyes flashing.

"That you would, sir, I'll lay," said the old sailor; "and wouldn't you
lay into 'em with that very sharp-edged cutlash I touches up for you!"

"Now look here, Dick, you're chaffing," said the lad; "now just drop
it."

"All right, sir," said the man, with a laugh twinkling at the corner of
his lips.

"It is a very fine country though, isn't it, Dick?"

"Wonderful, sir. There's gold, and tin, and copper, and precious
stones."

"Did you ever find any, Dick?"

"Well no, sir; but I've known them as has found gold in the rivers. The
Chinees gets most on it."

"There now you're chaffi