s his
ambition now to make up for the many deficiencies he discovered on board
the frigate. Consequently gun and small-arm drill was almost as
frequent as the practice of making and shortening sail. The crew
grumbled and grew weary, but all the same they felt an increasing
respect for the officer who was determined to have everything done in
the best way possible, and when the captain did say a few words of
praise for some smart bit of seamanship, the men felt that it was praise
worth having.

It seemed rather hard to Syd at times that his father should be so cold
and distant. Roylance, who had become great friends with the new middy,
noticed it too.

"Were you bad friends at home?" he said to Syd, one day, as they were
leaning over the taffrail gazing down at the clear blue sea.

"Oh no, the best of friends; and I always dined with him and Uncle Tom
when he was there, and sat with them at dessert."

"Oh, I say, don't talk about it," said Roylance; "late dinners and
dessert. Different to our rough berth, eh?"

"Ye-es," said Syd: "but one gets to like this more now."

"Does seem strange though about the captain."

"Takes more notice of the others than he does of me."

"I don't know about more," said Roylance. "Treats us all the same, I
think. Well, when you come to think of it, you are one of us, and it
wouldn't be fair if he favoured you."

"No."

"Suppose it was promotion? No, you mustn't grumble.--I say."

"Yes."

"I wouldn't trust old Terry too much, Syd."

"Why not? He's friendly enough now; and we don't want to fight again."

"No; but he's too civil to you now, and always looks to me as if he
would do you an ill turn if he could."

Syd laughed.

"Ah, you may grin; but you wouldn't laugh if you found he'd just given
you a push and sent you overboard some dark night."

"Nonsense!"

"I hope it is, but don't you trust him. I've known Mike Terry three
years, and I've always found that he never forgave anybody who got the
better of him."

"I'm not going to trust him particularly, nor keep him off," said Syd,
carelessly. "I say, though, how funny it is I find myself talking and
feeling just as if I'd been at sea ever so long, instead of two or three
weeks."

"Soon get used to it. You've been very lucky, though."

"How?" said Syd. "Being beaten nearly to a mummy, and then being
sea-sick for a week?"

"Having that fight, and marking Mike Terry. It's made all the fellows
like you."