from an unprejudiced and
independent standpoint. Of course, as you very truthfully say, anything
in the nature of gun-running or smuggling is totally opposed to all our
Navy traditions. At the same time, you are, unfortunately, no longer in
the Navy; to all intents and purposes you are now a private individual,
at liberty to take up any calling, profession, trade, or whatever you
care to term it, that offers you a chance to make a living. Employment
of some sort you certainly must have; and so long as that employment is
honest--I might almost say in your particular case, so long as it is not
_dis_honest--I think you will be wise to take the first thing that
offers.

"You have been out of harness for over a year now, and your ready cash
must be running pretty low, I should think; besides, this is the first
offer that has come your way since you left the Navy, and if you do not
accept it while you have the opportunity, it may perhaps be another year
or more before you are given another chance. Personally, I do not see
anything wrong with Drake's proposal. It is a purely business
enterprise. Certain folk require certain goods, and Drake contracts to
supply them. In order to carry out his agreement he needs your help,
and is willing to pay very handsomely for it; so my advice to you, my
son, is that you take what is offered, and be thankful. Of course I
need not say that if the arms had been intended for any country at war,
or likely at any time to be at war, with England, such a thing would be
absolutely impossible for you to contemplate for a moment; but as things
are--well, I have no hesitation in saying that under similar
circumstances my conscience would not worry me very much."

At this very clear and definite expression of opinion, Frobisher's
anxious expression vanished. He had evidently been a little afraid that
his friend might not look altogether favourably on the scheme; and he
was not so deeply in love with it himself that he would have felt
inclined to follow it up had Dick voted against it or pronounced it of
too "shady" a character for a gentleman to meddle with. But since
Dick's views coincided so completely with his own, he felt that there
could be no longer any room for hesitation.

"I'm glad indeed to hear you say that, Dick," he exclaimed, jumping up.
"It decides me absolutely. Tomorrow I'll run down to the docks, see
Drake on board the _Quernmore_ instead of waiting to meet him at the
ho