down home, and stop there, till today; and the
admiral sent me straight off, to be measured for my uniform. When I
started, next day, he gave me a letter to my father--an awfully
nice letter it was, saying that he intended to present me with my
first outfit. I got here about an hour ago, and have been putting
on my uniform, to see how it fitted."

"You mean to see how you looked in it, Jim? It looks first rate. I
wish I was in one too, and was going with you, instead of sticking
in Philpot Lane."

"I am awfully sorry for you, Bob. It must be beastly."

"Well, it is not so bad as I expected, Jim, and uncle is turning
out much better; and I don't live there, but with the head clerk,
out at Hackney. He is an awfully jolly sort of fellow--you never
saw such a rum chap. I will tell you all about it, afterwards.

"I suppose I ought to go in, and see the admiral."

"He is out, at present, Bob. He will be back at eight o'clock to
supper, so you can come up and tell me all about it. Captain
Langton is here, too."

Captain Langton spoke very kindly to Bob, when the two boys came
down to supper; and told him that if, at any time, he changed his
mind, and there was a vacancy for a midshipman on board his ship,
he would give him the berth.

"I should be very glad to have you with me," he said, "after the
service you rendered my father and sister."

On the following morning, Fullarton and Wharton came up from the
school, and two carriages conveyed the witnesses over to Kingston.
The prisoners, Bob heard, were notorious and desperate criminals,
whom the authorities had long been anxious to lay hands on. The
butler was one of the gang, and had obtained his post by means of a
forged character. The trial only occupied two hours for, taken in
the act as the men were, there was no defence whatever. All four
were sentenced to be hung, and the judge warmly complimented the
four boys upon their conduct in the matter.

The next morning, Bob returned to his work in the city.

For the next three months, his existence was a regular one. On
arriving in the cellar, he took off his jacket and put on a large
apron, that completely covered him; and from that time until five
o'clock he worked with the other boys: bottling, packing, storing
the bottles away in the bins, or taking them down as required. He
learned, from the foreman, something of the localities from which
the wine came, their value and prices; but had not begun to
distinguis