n separated, for how long they could not guess--perhaps years might
pass away before they could again meet. They resolved, however, to
stick together if they could, and, at all events, never to fail in
letting each other know their whereabouts.

The _Racer_ reached Portsmouth at last. There was a paying off dinner,
given by the midshipmen to the gun-room officers, at the far-famed _Blue
Posts_. Old Hemming presided, and a very good president he made. The
first course was over when a stumping on the stairs was heard, and the
waiter, opening the door, announced Admiral Triton. Jack sprang up and
grasped his hand warmly.

"I have taken the liberty of an old seaman to look in on you, gentlemen,
on this occasion, uninvited; for I saw you just as you were all brought
together, and I was anxious to meet you again before you all separate,
probably for ever," said the Admiral--who, as may be supposed, was most
cordially welcomed--after waiting for some time till the speech-making
had begun. "You have had, I am glad to find from my friend Rogers, a
happy ship. Many of you will, I hope, some day be captains; and let me
impress it on you that on you yourselves will then mainly depend whether
your ships also are happy ships or the reverse. To make them so, you
must command your tempers (you cannot begin too soon to practise the
difficult task), you must endeavour to study and promote the true
interests of all under you, and you must act justly towards all men. To
do this I must not fail to remind you that you must pray for strength
whence alone strength for all difficult tasks can be given."

The Admiral's speech in no way interrupted the hilarity of the evening,
and he added much to it by several amusing anecdotes, at which no one
laughed more heartily than he did. The next day he accompanied Jack to
Northamptonshire. No one was ever more cordially welcomed in a happy
home than was Jack. It need not be said that, for at least three days,
everybody did their very utmost to spoil him, though after that time he
was treated very much as he used to be before he became a midshipman.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

BOUND FOR AFRICA.

One morning, towards the termination of breakfast, Jack Rogers was
leaning back in his chair, with a bit of buttered toast in one hand and
the _Times_ in the other, on the contents of which he was making a
running commentary, when he stopped short, put down his toast, took a
hurried sip of his tea, and