ss the opportunity of seeing a ship fitted out. Take
my advice. Make yourself practically acquainted with everything on
board, from stowing the hold to rigging the topgallant masts." The next
day Mr Schank started for Portsmouth, telling me to be prepared to
follow him in the course of a few days.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

CONCLUSION.

The last days I spent at Whithyford ought to have been very delightful,
for my kind friends vied with each other in making much of me, as of
course so did my mother. My father talked of going down to Portsmouth
with me, but he changed his mind.

"No, no," he said, "you know how to take care of yourself; and it is as
well the old boatswain should not come and interfere with you. God
bless you, my boy; go on as you have begun, and you will do well."

And Emily. I am not going to repeat all we said to each other. We were
very young, and I dare say very silly. We exchanged vows, and hoped to
marry when I became a commander, or perhaps, we agreed, it might not be
so long; perhaps when I was a lieutenant. Many lieutenants had wives,
and though, to be sure, some were not very well off, yet we hoped to be
an exception to the general rule, and to have at all events enough to
live upon. Thus, full of love and hope, I started away for Portsmouth.
I was quickly on board the "Pearl". The First-Lieutenant, Mr Duff, was
a man after Captain Schank's own heart--a thorough tar, and under him,
doffing my midshipman's uniform, I was speedily engaged with a
marline-spike slung round my neck, and a lump of grease in one hand,
setting up the lower rigging. The brig was soon fitted for sea.
Oldershaw joined her as Second-Lieutenant. My two other friends Tom
Twig and Dicky Esse were glad to go to sea again with Captain Schank. I
also fell in with Toby Kiddle and Pat Brady at Portsmouth. I persuaded
both to join, Toby being rated as a quarter-master, and Pat as captain
of the foretop.

"You see, Mister Burton," he observed, with a wink, "I can now write
home to Ballybruree to tell them I have been made a captain; and sure
it's the truth, and it will help to raise the family in the estimation
of the neighbours, and may be they will think one captain as good as
another."

I confess that I should have preferred being in a rattling frigate; and
yet we had brave hearts on board the brig, and hoped at all events to do
something in her. We were ordered out to the North American station,
and then