gentleman, I'll just
put him up to a thing or two, and bring him aboard by and by."

Mr Johnson, who was really not an ill-natured man, agreed to this,
remarking, "Mind, boy, the king is a great man ashore, but I'm a greater
afloat--ho, ho, ho," and away he walked down the street to the Point.

The passenger who had had the box seat was standing near all the time.
"He'll find that there's a greater man than he is on board, if he
overstays his leave," I heard him remark, with a laugh, as he entered
the inn.

He was a slight active young man, with a pleasant countenance.

"That's our second lieutenant, Mr Bryan," said Edkins to me. "I saw
his name on his portmanteau. He must have thought the boatswain a rum
'un."

Captain Collyer's tailor lived close at hand, so I went there at once,
and he promised to have a suit ready for me by the following morning.

Edkins told me I was to dine with the captain at the George, and to
sleep there. He proposed that we should walk about in the interval, and
I employed part of the time in comforting Toby, persuading him to
accompany the coxswain on board the frigate without me.

We had just got outside the Southsea-gate, when, passing a fruit-stall,
I saw a little boy, while the old woman who kept the stall was looking
another way, surreptitiously abstract several apples and make off with
them. She turned at the moment and observed the deed.

"Come back, ye little thieving spalpeen," she cried angrily, rising and
making sail in chase. She was very stout, and filled out with
petticoats on either side. The wind was very strong from the
south-west, and, knowing that it is easier to sail with a fair wind than
a foul, off darted the little boy before it over Southsea common. He,
however, compared to the old lady, was like a brig to a seventy-four,
with the studding sails set alow and aloft, and she, with her wide
expanded figure propelled onward, was rapidly gaining on the
apple-loving culprit. She would have caught him to a certainty. Toby
and I and Edkins ran on to see the result. An old admiral (so Edkins
told me he was), taking his constitutional, stopped, highly enjoying the
fun. He observed the cause of old Molly's rapid progress. His
sympathies were excited for the urchin.

"Try her on a wind, boy; try her on a wind," he shouted, giving way to
his feelings in loud laughter.

The boy took the hint, and coming about darted off to the westward.
Molly attempted to fol