de his pens and burn up his
coat-tail, on which he was in the habit of wiping them. I boldly asked
for an ounce of chloroform. The young apothecary winked and handed me
the bottle.

It was Grubbins's custom to throw his handkerchief over his head,
recline in his chair and take a short nap during recess. Watching my
opportunity, as he dozed, I managed to slip his handkerchief from his
face and substitute my own, moistened with chloroform. In a few
minutes he was insensible. Tom and I then quickly shaved his head,
beard, and eyebrows, blackened his face with a mixture of vitriol and
burnt cork, and fled. There was a row and scandal the next day. My
father always excused me by asserting that Grubbins had got drunk,--but
somehow found it convenient to procure me an appointment in her
Majesty's navy at an early day.

CHAPTER II.

An official letter, with the Admiralty seal, informed me that I was
expected to join H. M. ship Belcher, Captain Boltrope, at Portsmouth,
without delay. In a few days I presented myself to a tall,
stern-visaged man, who was slowly pacing the leeward side of the
quarter-deck. As I touched my hat he eyed me sternly:--

"So ho! Another young suckling. The service is going to the devil.
Nothing but babes in the cockpit and grannies in the board. Boatswain's
mate, pass the word for Mr. Cheek!"

Mr. Cheek, the steward, appeared and touched his hat. "Introduce Mr.
Breezy to the young gentlemen. Stop! Where's Mr. Swizzle?"

"At the masthead, sir."

"Where's Mr. Lankey?"

"At the masthead, sir."

"Mr. Briggs?"

"Masthead, too, sir."

"And the rest of the young gentlemen?" roared the enraged officer.

"All masthead, sir."

"Ah!" said Captain Boltrope, as he smiled grimly, "under the
circumstances, Mr. Breezy, you had better go to the masthead too."

CHAPTER III.

At the masthead I made the acquaintance of two youngsters of about my
own age, one of whom informed me that he had been there three hundred
and thirty-two days out of the year.

"In rough weather, when the old cock is out of sorts, you know, we
never come down," added a young gentleman of nine years, with a dirk
nearly as long as himself, who had been introduced to me as Mr. Briggs.
"By the way, Pills," he continued, "how did you come to omit giving the
captain a naval salute?"

"Why, I touched my hat," I said, innocently.

"Yes, but that isn't enough, you know. That will do very well at other
times. H