they must do in a king's ship. If I had my way, every tar should serve
at least five years of his life on board a man-of-war. It is above all
things essential, Harry, that you should do your duty."

"I am ready to do my duty, dad," the boy said, "when the time comes. I
do it now to the best of my power, and I have in my pocket a letter
from the first officer to you. He told you when you went down with me
to see me off on my last voyage that he would keep an eye upon me, and
he has done so."

"That's right," the old man said. "As you say, Harry, a man may do his
duty anywhere; still, for all that, it is part of his duty, if he be a
sailor, to help his majesty, for a time at least, against his enemies.
Look at me. Why, I served man and boy for nigh fifty years, and was in
action one way and another over a hundred times, and here I am now
with a snug little pension, and as comfortable as his gracious majesty
himself. What can you want more than that?"

"I don't know that I can want more," the boy said, "in its way, at
least; but there are other ways in the merchant service. I might
command a ship by the time I am thirty, and be my own master instead
of being a mere part of a machine. I have heard the balls flying too,"
he said, laughing.

"What! did you have a brush with Mounseer?" the old tar said, greatly
interested.

"Yes; we had a bit of a fight with a large privateer off the coast of
Spain. Fortunately the old bark carries a long eighteen, as well as
her twelves, and when the Frenchman found that we could play at long
bowls as well as himself he soon drew off, but not before we had
drilled a few holes in his sails and knocked away a bit of his
bulwarks."

"Were you hit, Harry?"

"Yes, two or three shots hulled her, but they did little damage beyond
knocking away a few of the fittings and frightening the lady
passengers. We had a strong crew, and a good many were sorry that the
skipper did not hide his teeth and let the Frenchman come close before
he opened fire. We should like to have towed him up the river with our
flag over the tricolor."

"There, you see, Harry," the old sailor said, "you were just as ready
to fight as if you had been on a man-of-war; and while in a sailing
ship you only get a chance if one of these privateers happens to see
you, in a king's ship you go looking about for an enemy, and when you
see one the chances are he is bigger, instead of smaller, than
yourself."

"Ah! well, dad, w