and I not only "got to win'ard" of the old
seaman by the knowledge I thus displayed, but added to my laurels by
showing that I knew something also of the somewhat intricate arts of
"worming" and "parcelling" and "serving" ropes when occasion arose for
dealing with them in such fashion, repeating aloud, to the great
satisfaction of my teacher, the distich which guides the tyro and tells
him how to do his work properly:--

"_Worm_ and _parcel_ with the lay,
And _serve_ the rope the other way!"

With my mathematical studies, too, I made equal progress, in spite of my
original dislike to friend Euclid and his vexatious propositions.

I also learnt how to find my latitude, by "bringing down the sun" with
the sextant; and was taught the bearings and deviation of the compass,
as well as the mastery of the log-line and other similar little niceties
of navigation.

These preliminaries achieved, I was reported by the naval instructor to
the captain of the training-ship as "efficient" long before my
probationary period of three months had expired.

The captain of the training-ship, in due course, reported me to the
Admiralty; and one fine morning I received official notice from the
Secretary informing me that I was to go to sea, being appointed to the
_Candahar_, line-of-battle ship, just commissioned for service on the
China station; where, it was reported, matters were getting a little
ticklish at the time, our government being at loggerheads with that of
the emperor of the sun, moon and stars, and war imminent between the two
countries.

It was certainly a splendid opening for me!

"By jingo! you're a lucky johnny," said little Tom Mills when I told him
the news, my chum heaving a sigh of disappointment at this early
severance of our friendship. He was, I could see, also a little jealous
of my going to sea before him. "I'll write to my father and see if he
cannot get me appointed to the same ship!"

"I hope you will, Tom," cried I, as I wrung his hand at the gangway,
parting company at the same time with the rest of my old messmates, who
had not yet passed through the course of the training-ship, all of whom
gathered round to see the last of me. "I promise you, old chap, I
sha'n't have any other chum if you don't come with me!"

With these words, I ran down the ladderway; and, the next moment, was
seated with three other cadets, who were leaving like myself to go
afloat, in the sternsheets of the second cutte