nes which clearly betrayed his
disappointment at the arrangement come to by the skipper. "I will put
matters in hand."

"Yes, do," returned the skipper; "and meanwhile I will go and dress. It
shall be your turn next time, Perry," he chuckled, as he turned away to
go below again.

"Ay," grumbled the lieutenant to himself, but audibly enough for me to
hear. "Same old yarn--`your turn next time, Perry.' This will make the
third time running that I have been left behind to `keep house,' but
there's not going to be a fourth, I'll see to that; it is time that this
child stood up for his rights. Now, Mr Fortescue, have the goodness,
if you please, to pass the word for all hands to arm and man boats; and
to be quiet about it, too, and show no lights."

"Ay, ay, sir," I briskly responded, as I turned to hurry away; "I'll see
that our lambs don't bleat too loudly. And--I suppose--that I may take
it for granted that--"

"That you will make one of the `pleasure-party'?" interrupted the
lieutenant, with a laugh, as he put his disappointment and ill-humour
away from him. "Oh, yes, I suppose so. At all events there will be no
harm in making your preparations; the captain is pretty certain to take
you."

Still on my bare feet, I hurried forward and found the boatswain.

"That you, Mr Futtock?" I inquired, as I made out his burly form.

"Ay, ay, Mr Fortescue, it's me, right enough," was the answer. "I
presoom, sir, it's another boat job, eh? You heard that bell?"

"We did, Mr Futtock; yes, we heard it distinctly, seeing that we don't
`caulk' in our watch on deck," I retorted. "Yes, it's another boat
affair; so be good enough to have all hands called at once, if you
please. And kindly make it your personal business to see that nobody
raises his voice, lets anything fall, or otherwise creates row enough to
wake the dead. This is going to be a little surprise visit, you
understand."

"Ay, ay, Mr Fortescue, I understands," answered Futtock, as he moved
toward the open hatchway; "I'll see that the swabs don't make no noise.
The man that raises his voice above a whisper won't go. That's all."

"Just one word more, Mr Futtock," I hastily interposed, as the
boatswain stepped over the coaming to descend the hatchway. "You may do
me a favour, if you will. Kindly ask the armourer to pick me out a nice
sharp cutlass, if you please. You can bring it on deck with you when
you come up."

To this request the boatswain re