lls him,--and the hurricanes of these here seas? Who can say that
one-half of us standing here may be alive this time next year? We
sailors hold our lives riding at single anchor. We know at any moment
we may have to slip our cable and be off."

The clergyman looked grave and bowed his head.

"You speak too sad a truth," he answered. "Now tell me, what name do
you propose giving to the child?"

"Billy, your honour," answered Paul at once.

"William?--oh, I understand," observed the clergyman.

"No, Billy, your honour," persisted Paul. "Billy True Blue, that's the
name we've concluded to give him. It's the properest, and rightest, and
most convenient, and it's the name he must have," he added firmly.

"But what is the father's name? What is your name, my man?" asked the
clergyman, turning to Freeborn.

Will told him.

"Oh, then I understand Billy True Blue is to be his Christian name?"
said the clergyman.

"Yes, your honour," answered Paul. "D'ye see, he'd always be called
Billy. That would be but natural-like. Then where's the use of calling
him William? And True Blue he is, for he was born at sea aboard a
man-o'-war, and he'll be brought up at sea among men-o'-war's men; and
he'll be a right true blue seaman himself one of these days, if he
lives, so there's an end on the matter."

The last remark was intended as a clincher to settle the affair. The
clergyman had no further objections to offer to the arguments brought
forward, and accordingly the child was then and there christened "Billy
True Blue," to the infinite satisfaction of all his friends.

On leaving the church, the party adjourned to various houses of
entertainment to drink their young shipmate's health. Much to their
credit, at the time appointed they reappeared on board, returning to the
quay in the style they had come, none of them the worse for liquor.
Captain Penrose had reason to be satisfied with his system of managing
his ship's company.

CHAPTER THREE.

The _Terrible_ was not allowed to remain long idle, for those were
stirring times, as there were Frenchmen and Spaniards, and the Dutch and
Americans to fight; indeed, all the great maritime countries of the
world were leagued against Old England to deprive her, as they hoped, of
the supremacy of the sea. Again the _Terrible_ was under weigh,
standing for the Leeward Islands to join the squadron of Sir George
Brydges Rodney. A day or two after she sailed, the surgeo