ng time. But, joking aside, I am very glad indeed, old fellow,
to hear that you are going to turn over a new leaf. As you very truly
say, you have wasted time enough; the moment has arrived when, if you
wish to make headway in your profession, as I suppose you do, you must
begin to take life seriously, and realise that you were not sent into
the world merely to skylark, although skylarking, within reasonable
limits and at the proper time, is possibly a harmless enough amusement."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

THE PIRATE BRIG AGAIN?

We duly dined with the commodore that night, and I was able to promise
him that he should have my complete requisition before noon the next
day, at which he expressed himself much pleased. And after dinner, when
the cloth had been drawn and the servants had retired, the dear old
gentleman gave us both a very long and serious talking-to, which did us
both a great deal of good, and for which I, at least, and Jack, too, I
believe, felt profoundly grateful. We were a pair of very sober lads
when at length we bade him good-night and made the best of our way
aboard the saucy little _Francesca_. Jack and I got to work at daylight
next morning, and by dint of really hard labour I was not only able to
keep my promise of the previous night to the commodore, but to do rather
better, for it was barely eleven o'clock when I entered his office and
handed him my requisition. He read it very carefully through from
beginning to end, asked me if I felt quite certain that it embodied the
whole of my requirements, and, upon my replying that I was, at once
signed it, bidding me to be off at once to get it executed and then to
report to him. I saw that he was very anxious for me to get away as
quickly as possible, and I therefore went straight from him to the
various people concerned, and badgered them so unmercifully that the
bulk of my requirements were alongside that same evening, while by
breakfast-time on the following morning the last boatload had come off,
and I felt myself free to go ashore, leaving Jack in charge, and report
myself ready for sea.

I was at the office even before the commodore that morning, and he
expressed himself as being much gratified at the expedition with which I
had completed my preparations. Then he unlocked his desk, and,
extracting two packets therefrom, said, as he handed them to me:

"There are your written instructions, and there are the dispatches,
which I charge you