now; but as the captain says I'm to do no duty while it lasts,
I hope it won't wear off too soon."

"Spoken like a midshipman: now take my advice, although not ordered to
your duty, come up on deck and take your spy-glass."

"I've lost it, unfortunately. That was a good glass, for it saved my
life."

"Yes, it turned out as good for you as a Freemason's sign, which is more
than Mr Green can say. I don't think he'll ever make a sailor--he'd
better bear up for clerk, and then he might do very well for a purser
by-and-by. There's eight bells, Master Keene, so I think we had better
say good night."

CHAPTER TWENTY.

The Arrow schooner had suffered very severely in the contest, having
lost her commanding officer and thirteen men killed and wounded: indeed,
had not the Calliope been at hand, it was the general opinion that the
Stella would have overpowered her, notwithstanding that the latter had
lost her mainmast, for the Arrow was completely dismantled, and would
not have been able to have made sail.

The Calliope sent her carpenters and best seamen on board to repair her
damages, and the next day we stood away for Port Royal, Jamaica, to
announce the destruction of the pirate vessel.

In the morning Captain Delmar sent for me.

"Mr Keene, as you cannot do duty for the present, and as I do not wish
you to be idle, I think you had better pay a little attention to
navigation. You send in your day's work, I perceive, but I suppose you
have never regularly gone through a course of study."

"No, sir," replied I; "I fudge my day's work, and I should be very glad
to learn navigation properly."

"So I presume. Well, then, I have spoken with Mr Smith, the master,
who has promised me to give you the necessary instruction. You will
commence to-morrow; you can sit at the table in the fore-cabin, where
you will have nothing to distract your attention. You may go now."

I bowed and left the cabin, and meeting Bob Cross on the main deck, I
told him what the captain had said.

"I'm glad of it, Master Keene; it shows that the captain does now take a
strong interest in you. He has never taken any trouble of that kind
with any midshipman before. It will be of great service to you, so pay
attention; it will please the captain if the master gives a good report
of you. Who knows but you may be sent away in a prize, and I sent with
you to take care of you? Wouldn't that be a capital spree?"

The next day I commenced