ay day after day and haven't liked to ask
any one."

Ralph took the quadrant, and having first placed it to his own eye, made
Chandos hold it while he showed him how to use it, and to watch for the
moment when the lower edge of the sun seemed to touch the horizon before
it rose again.

"There--there--I never saw it do that before," exclaimed the young
midshipman. "Thank you, Michelmore, you are a good fellow: and now just
work it out for me in this pocket-book, will you?"

Ralph, having in the meantime taken a glance round at the different
ships of the fleet, very rapidly in a few figures did as requested.

It happened that the captain had just before come on deck, and,
unnoticed, was an observer of the scene. He had remarked, too, the way
in which Ralph had assisted the youngster without neglecting his proper
duty. The master and his assistants, with the rest of the midshipmen,
had taken their instruments below when he went aft to where Ralph was
standing. "I see, Michelmore, you know how to take a meridional
observation," he observed. "Do you understand much of navigation?"

"I take an interest in the study, sir, and am considered a fair
navigator," answered Ralph, modestly.

"Have you made many voyages?" asked the captain.

"Several, sir, up the Mediterranean, to Lisbon, Madeira, and the Baltic,
as mate," said Ralph.

"You consider yourself competent, then, to navigate a vessel in any part
of the world," observed the captain, after a short pause.

"Yes, sir; I should have no fears as to the correctness of my
observations," answered Ralph, modestly, though he spoke with
confidence.

"I will consider what can be done, and will not lose sight of you,"
observed the captain, walking away.

There were grumblers and discontented men, as there are on board most
ships. Dick Bracewell was among them. He soon got tired of the strict
discipline, grumbled at being compelled to turn out neatly-dressed and
clean, and at being only allowed to smoke his pipe at certain times and
in one part of the ship, and more than all at having his grog stopped,
or being compelled to drink it mixed with nine parts of water when he
had neglected his duties or broken through any regulations, as was not
unfrequently the case. Having had a good deal of money in his pocket
when pressed, he was able to buy from others their allowance of grog.

At length, one evening when Ralph went below, to his sorrow he found his
old shipmate un