on on his countenance, with a native dignity that would have won
the praise of Lord Chesterfield. "W'y, sir, h'I'm a `h'upright,' sir,
that's wot h'I h'am!"

"An `upright'!" exclaimed Commander Nesbitt, with a smile. "I've heard
of wheelwrights, and millwrights and shipwrights, of course, but never
of such a calling as an `upright'--what's that, eh?"

"I thought as 'ow I'd puzzle you, sir," replied the man with a grin.
"I'm a chimbly-sweeper by trade."

"Oh, a chimney-sweeper? Then you ought to be good at climbing, and I
cannot do better than send you aloft. You can go forrud now."

Saying this, the commander turned to the last man the morose one,
questioning him in like fashion.

"And what have you been?"

"I'm a `downright,' sir," said he, as grave as a judge. "Wot they calls
a `downright,' sir."

"Now, don't you try on any of your jokes with me, my man, or you'll find
yourself in the wrong box, which is the strong box on board ship, and
vulgarly called chokey!"

"I ain't a-joking," replied the other, speaking as gravely as before and
without even the shadow of a smile on his face. "I'm a `downright,'
that's what I am."

"Pray, what profession is that," asked the commander, sarcastically. "I
would not like to hurt your feelings by calling your avocation a trade!"

"You're right, sir," returned the other, as calmly as possible, without
turning a hair; "I'm a gravedigger."

This fairly made the commander collapse.

"You may muster with the after-guard," was the only reply he made, but
we all could see that he had hard work to keep his gravity, as he turned
towards the boatswain's mate and ordered him to pipe the men to dinner
in a sharp tone; and he said to Mr Cheffinch, the gunnery lieutenant,
when he crossed over the deck to go on board the old _Blake_ to lunch,
"He had me nicely there, like that other joker the chimney-sweeper. It
must have been a planned thing between the two rascals!"

CHAPTER SEVEN.

WE GO OUT TO SPITHEAD.

Passing across the gangway with Commander Nesbitt to the hulk, which
served as a sort of floating hotel for all of us while the _Candahar_
was preparing for sea, officers and men alike sleeping and messing in
her and only going on board our own ship during working hours between
meals, as long as daylight lasted, I found Dr Nettleby, the chief of
our medical staff, with one of his assistants, busily engaged in the
sick bay on the main deck.

They were examining a