dressed in. `What's to be done with him?' says the admiral.
`Why, bless ye, my lord, he'll have fifty nurses, every one as good as
the she-maids as has to look after him ashore,' answered Ben Brown, the
admiral's coxswain; `and as for clothing, the ship's tailor will rig him
out in no time.' To my mind, the admiral rather liked having the little
fellow with him. Fearless himself, he couldn't even feel fear for one
of those he loved best on earth. Young master very soon made himself at
home among us, and in a couple of days the ship's tailor had as complete
a midshipman's uniform made for him as you'd wish to see.

"We were bound, do you see, to Callao, where the admiral discovered that
a large Spanish ship was about to sail for Europe, with great treasure
aboard. Besides her, there was a Spanish squadron of considerable force
lying in the harbour, under the protection of the guns of the forts.
The admiral was up to all sorts of dodges, so he hoisted American
colours, and, as two United States' ships of war were expected with
another ship, stood in. A fog, however came on, and the _Lantaro_, one
of our squadron, parting company, his plan was defeated. However, we
fell in with a Spanish gunboat in the fog, and took her. Fogs and light
winds baffled us for some time; but the admiral was not a man to be
turned aside from what he had intended, so at last we got in before the
forts, and with springs on our cables began blazing away at them and the
fleet, of which there were altogether some fourteen vessels. Well, I
was telling you of the admiral's little son. Of course his father was
very anxious about him, for it was no child's work we were about, so he
locked him up as he fancied safe in his after-cabin. As soon, however,
as the firing began, the youngster thought he should like to see some of
the fun; so what does he do, but work his way out through the
quarter-gallery window, and find his way up on deck. `Go down below,
sir, this moment,' says the admiral when he sees him. `You'll be having
your head shot off if you stay here.' The shot was flying about us
pretty thick by that time, let me tell you. `No, no, daddy,' says he.
`Let me stay here. You stay, and de oder midshipmens stay; why
shouldn't I?' He couldn't speak quite plain yet, do you see. `Take him
below out of harm's way, one of you,' says the admiral, turning to me.
You see he had plenty to do watching the enemy and issuing orders, and
had not t