after beside the good-looking,
dark-complexioned middy, who took the helm, and gave the order to give
way. The oars fell with a splash, and Sydney felt that he was at last
afloat and on his way to join the frigate.

The admiral took snuff, and after a word or two with the middy in charge
of the boat, sat gazing silently about him, while from time to time
Sydney turned his eyes to find that his companion was examining him
closely, and with a supercilious air which made the new addition to the
midshipmen's mess feel irritable and ready to resent any insult.

But none was offered, and the men rowed on, till after threading their
way through quite a forest of masts the frigate was sighted.

"There she lies, Syd," whispered his uncle; "as fine a craft as you need
wish to see. What's your name, youngster?"

"Michael Terry," said the midshipman.

"Ho!" ejaculated the admiral. "Well, this is my nephew, Sydney Belton,
your new messmate. I hope you'll be very good friends."

"I'm sure we shan't," said the young fellow to himself. "Too cocky for
me. But we can soon cut his comb."

"Arn't you going to shake hands, youngsters?"

"Oh, yes, if you like," said the youth. "There's my hand."

Sydney put out his, but somehow the hand-shake which followed did not
seem to be a friendly one, and more than once afterwards he thought
about that first grip.

"Ah, that's right," said the admiral; "always be good friends with your
messmates."

Syd looked up quickly, and a feeling of angry resentment made his cheeks
flush, for his eyes encountered those of the midshipman, and being
exceedingly sensitive that day, it seemed to him that Terry was laughing
in his sleeve at Sir Thomas.

Syd's eyes flashed, and the young officer stared at him haughtily in
return, his glance seeming to say, "Well, I shall laugh at the
comical-looking old boy if I like."

The eye encounter which had commenced was checked by Sir Thomas suddenly
turning to his nephew.

"There's your ship, boy," he said, "and I wish you luck in her."

Syd looked in the direction pointed out, to see the long, graceful
vessel lying at anchor with quite a swarm of men busy aloft bending on
new sails, renewing the running-rigging, and repairing the damages
caused her in a severe encounter with a storm. And as he gazed with an
unpleasant feeling of shrinking troubling him, the boat rapidly neared
the side, the oars were thrown up, the coxswain deftly manoeuvred the
ste