ay.

Two days after this a lighter was seen alongside the corvette, when
truss after truss of hay was lowered into her. Then came two fat oxen
and lastly, nearly a dozen sheep.

"Any more coming?" asked the master of the lighter.

"No, no," exclaimed the commander, who had been looking on with ruthful
countenance, adding, as he turned aft, clenching his fist, and pulling
at his hair, "I'd sooner throw up my command than part with them."

The frigate and corvette were ready for sea at the same time, and went
out together to Spithead. Still their destination was unknown. The
tailors, the Jews, and even the bumboat-women were unable to solve the
mystery, the fact being that the Lords of the Admiralty had not decided
themselves. Ships were wanted at three different stations, but economy
being the order of the day, all three could not be supplied. The West
Indies, the South American station and the Pacific were spoken of. At
length Captain Hemming announced that he had received orders to proceed
to Jamaica, and that the _Tudor_ was to accompany the _Plantagenet_.
More stores and provisions were received on board, till every locker and
cranny in the two ships was filled, as Adair remarked, to bursting.

Admiral Triton came on board the frigate to wish his young friends
good-bye.

"I cannot say that I hope you'll come back crowned with glory and your
pockets filled with prize-money, for such things are not to be picked up
now-a-days," he said, shaking Jack's hand, "but may you enjoy health and
happiness and have many a long yarn to spin about your adventures in the
West Indies or wherever you may be sent to, and I suspect that your
captain has got orders to proceed rather farther than you at present
expect."

As the kind old admiral went down the side, the anchor was run up to the
bows, to the sound of the merry fife, the topsails were sheeted home,
and the two ships glided westward over the smooth waters of the Solent.
It was a lovely morning, a few fine weather clouds were to be seen here
and there in the sky, but there were not enough of them to obscure the
noon-day splendour of the sun. The duck trousers and shirts of the
crews looked clean and summerish; the new gold lace on the uniforms of
the officers glittered brightly as they paced the deck, or hurried here
and there as duty called; the sentries with gleaming arms and white
belts; the fresh paint, the light-coloured copper, the snowy canvas, all
indicat