admiral's servant, "Will you tell the midshipman of my gig to come
here?"

A minute afterwards the midshipman entered. The captain gave him the
slip of paper and said, "Take this young gentleman on board the ship
with you at once, and present him to Mr. Francis, and with him give
this note. He will be your shipmate in future. See that he's made
comfortable."

The midshipman then beckoned to Harry to follow him, gazing askance,
and with no slight astonishment in his face, at the appearance of his
new messmate. Harry's attire, indeed, was not in accordance with the
received ideas of that of a midshipman freshly joining a ship. His
clothes were all so much shrunk that his ankles showed below his
trousers, and his wrists below his coat-sleeves. Without a word the
midshipman took his place in the stern-sheets, and beckoned Harry to
sit beside him.

"Where have you sprung from?" he said shortly.

"I hail last from the admiral's cabin," Harry said with a laugh.
"Before that from his majesty's ship _Viper_, and before that from the
sea."

"You look like the sea," said the midshipman. "But what have you been
doing? Have you served before?"

"Not in a king's ship," Harry said; "I have only just been appointed."

The midshipman was too surprised at Harry's appearance to question him
further. He felt that there was some mystery in the affair, and that
it would be better for him to wait until he saw the footing upon which
Harry was placed. He had little doubt from the fact of his appointment
being made under such circumstances that there must be something at
once singular and noteworthy about it.

Upon reaching the ship Harry's new messmate at once led him up to the
first lieutenant, and presented the captain's note. The lieutenant
opened it and glanced at the contents. They were brief:

"Harry Langley has been appointed midshipman on board the _Caesar_, and
has been promoted by Sir Hyde Parker himself. He has performed a most
gallant action, and one of the greatest importance. Make him at home
at once, and let him have poor De Lisle's kit. I will arrange about
it."

The senior midshipman was at once sent for by Mr. Francis, and Harry
handed over to him. The first lieutenant intimated to him briefly the
contents of the captain's letter, telling the midshipman to make him
as comfortable as possible.

Harry was led below to the cockpit, where his arrival was greeted with
a storm of questions, as his appearance on the qu