something had put him out very much indeed, looking
worried beyond endurance.

"Captain Nesbitt, sir," said he to the commander, touching his cap like
the others, "what am I to do, sir?"

"I'm sure I can't say, Mr Nipper," rejoined the commander in an
off-hand way, for he had just given the order to sway the yard aloft,
and was watching whether the spar cleared the top and keeping a wary eye
that it did not get foul of the mainstay, or something else aloft.
"What's the matter?"

"Those people at the victualling yard haven't sent our fresh beef yet
aboard, sir," answered the purser, a thin, fussy little man, in a
whining way, as if he were going to cry, "and there's nothing to serve
out for the men's dinners--at least, not enough for all."

"That's too bad!" cried the commander, indignantly; "why did you not
tell me of this before?"

"I was expecting the boat would come with the meat every minute, sir."

"Is there no beef at all on board?"

"Only the wardroom and gunroom supply."

"Then serve that out at once to the men--they sha'n't go without their
dinner if I can help it."

"But, sir, what will the officers do?"

"Ah, you must settle that as best as you can with the wardroom steward,
sir! Let this, Mr Nipper, be a lesson to you in future not to put off
things until the last moment! You may take the dinghy, if you like,
by-and-by and go to Clarence yard yourself, to see what can be done for
getting some more beef for the wardroom and gunroom mess; but, I cannot
spare another officer or man. We're much too short-handed already!"

This was true enough, for we had only about a couple of hundred men of
our crew, including the seamen, gunners and petty officers, as yet
aboard.

In those days only the marines and boys were drafted to ships when first
commissioned, the compliment having to be made up as hands volunteered
to join in response to the bills inviting enrolment that were stuck up
in some selected public-house or tavern ashore, which, as the
master-at-arms told me, was called the "Randy-woo!"

The continuous service system now in vogue was not adopted until within
a comparatively recent period, say some thirty years ago at the outside;
prior to this all bluejackets on their discharge from a ship when she
was paid off, instead of being merely granted leave according to the
present custom, became absolutely free men and having the right to quit
the service, if they so wished, for good and all.

A