go for'ard. I'll recollect what
you have said." I took the hint. The seamen grinned as I returned
among them, as if they had understood what I had been saying.

I kept to my resolution of doing smartly whatever I was told, and
laughed and joked with the men, trying to understand their lingo, and to
make myself understood by them. I managed to pick up some of their
words, though they almost cracked my jaws to pronounce them; but I
laughed at my I own mistakes, and they seemed to think it very good fun
to hear me talk.

Several days passed away, when at length I saw Clement come on deck. I
ran aft to him, and he came somewhat timidly to meet me. We shook
hands, and I told him how glad I was to see him better, though he still
looked very pale. "I am very glad also to see you, Jack," he said, "and
I wish we were to be together. I told the doctor I would rather go and
live for'ard than be separated from you; but he replied that that could
not be, and I have hopes, Jack, that by-and-by you will be placed on the
quarter-deck if you will enter the Russian service."

"What! and give up being an Englishman?" I exclaimed. "I would do a
great deal to be with you, but I won't abandon my country and be
transmogrified into a Russian."

"You are right, Jack," said Clem, with a sigh; "however, the officers
will not object to my talking with you, and we must hope for the best."
After this I was constantly thinking how I should act should I have the
option of being placed on the quarter-deck and becoming an officer in
the Russian service, for we were on board a Russian frigate.

Clem got rapidly better, and we every day met and had a talk together.
Altogether, as the boatswain's lash did not often reach me, though he
used it pretty freely among my companions, I was as happy as usual. I
should have been glad to have had less train-oil and fat in the food
served out to us, and should have preferred wheaten flour to the black
rye and beans which I had to eat. Still that was a trifle, and I soon
got accustomed to the greasy fare. Clem was now doing duty as a
midshipman, and I was in the same watch with him.

The weather had hitherto been generally fine; but one night as the sun
went down, I thought I saw indications of a gale. Still the wind didn't
come, and the ship went gliding smoothly over the ocean. I was in the
middle watch, and had just come on deck. I had made my way aft, where I
found Clem, and, leaning against