d
afterwards that, while he was making up the medicine, Sankey had
been doing something in the corner where his bottles were. When I
questioned Sankey about it, he admitted that he had observed the
leeches, but declined to criminate himself farther. So I sent him
aloft for an hour or two, to meditate upon the enormity of wasting
His Majesty's medical stores."

"I hope, Captain O'Halloran," the captain said, "that you have less
trouble with your brother-in-law than we have with his friend."

"Bob hasn't had much chance, yet," Captain O'Halloran said,
laughing. "He is new to the place, as yet; and besides, he is
really working hard, and hasn't much time for mischief; but I don't
flatter myself that it is going to last."

"Well, Mr. Sankey, you may as well take your friend down, and
introduce him formally to your messmates," the captain said; and
Jim, who had been feeling extremely uncomfortable since the talk
had turned on the subject of mastheading, rose and made his escape
with Bob, leaving the elders to their wine.

The proposed excursion to the Spanish lines did not come off, as
the Brilliant put to sea again, on the day fixed for it. She was
away a fortnight and, on her return, the captain issued orders that
none of the junior officers, when allowed leave, were to go beyond
the lines; for the rumours of approaching troubles had become
stronger and, as the peasantry were assuming a somewhat hostile
attitude, any act of imprudence might result in trouble. Jim often
had leave to come ashore in the afternoon and, as this was the time
that Bob had to himself, they wandered together all over the Rock,
climbed up the flagstaff, and made themselves acquainted with all
the paths and precipices.

Their favourite place was the back of the Rock; where the cliff, in
many places, fell sheer away for hundreds of feet down into the
sea. They had many discussions as to the possibility of climbing up
on that side, though both agreed that it would be impossible to
climb down.

"I should like to try, awfully," Bob said, one day early in June,
as they were leaning on a low wall looking down to the sea.

"But it would never do to risk getting into a scrape here. It
wouldn't, indeed, Bob. They don't understand jokes at Gib. One
would be had up before the big wigs, and court-martialled, and
goodness knows what. Of course, it is jolly being ashore; but one
never gets rid of the idea that one is a sort of prisoner. There
are the re