more enlightened of our times;
albeit the fifth of November and the lesson it teaches should never be
forgotten.

The two midshipmen, who mustered a binocular between them, thus
instigated by Paddy, made their way aloft, where, for their own
pleasure, they remained looking out for Mr Mildmay's "ideal cincture"
with the utmost patience, though they would have grumbled greatly had
they been ordered up for punishment. At length they were espied by the
first lieutenant. "What are you two youngsters doing up there aloft?"
he shouted.

"Looking for the line, sir," was the answer, in Billy's shrill voice.

"Then remain till you see it, or till I call you down!" cried Adair. "I
say, Gerald, you've been after bamboozling those youngsters," he added,
as he caught sight of a broad grin on his nephew's face. "Go up to the
main-topgallant-masthead, and assist them in looking out for the line.
Perhaps you will sight it sooner than they will, and it will help you to
correct your day's work."

Gerald, pulling a long face, began to ascend the rigging, greatly to the
amusement of Archie and his other messmates.

"I say, Adair, you're somewhat hard upon the youngsters," observed the
commander, who had just then come on deck. "You remember that Rogers
and you and I thought ourselves severely dealt with when we three had to
grace the mastheads of the old _Racer_."

"Faith, but I think we were rightly punished, and that's the reason I
sent Desmond aloft, and allowed the other youngsters to remain where
they had gone of their own accord."

"You forget that the sun is somewhat hot, and they may come down by the
run and knock their brains out; so don't you think it would be better to
call them down presently, and give Master Gerald a lecture on the
impropriety of playing on the credulity of his younger messmates?"

Of course Adair did as the commander wished, though he had some
difficulty in keeping his countenance when he called up the three
youngsters before him to receive his lecture.

"Remember, Master Desmond, if you begin by bamboozling, you may end by
practising more serious deceptions on your fellows; so let me advise you
in future to restrain your propensity in that direction," he wound up by
saying, with as grave a countenance as he could command. He then
informed the youngsters that the line was only imaginary, to denote the
sun's course round the globe.

"An `ideal cincture,' you will understand, youngsters," obser