from Senor Montijo, authorising the arming of the ship in
accordance with Milsom's suggestion, and the _Thetis_, as she had been
named, was once more laid alongside the wharf to receive certain extra
fittings which were required to admit of the prompt mounting of her
artillery when occasion should seem to so require.

In the meantime Jack had written to Milsom, extending the time allowed
the latter in which to pick up a suitable crew, and at the same time
suggesting that Perkins and the rest of the crew of the _Lalage_ should
be afforded an opportunity to join the _Thetis_, should they care to do
so, subject, of course, to Milsom's approval of them; and by the time
that the extra fittings were in place, and the little ship drydocked and
repainted outside, the Navy man had come north with his retinue, and the
hands were duly shipped, Jack having, with the assistance of the
superintendent of his fitting-shops, meanwhile selected a first-rate
engine-room staff and stokehold crew.

The completing of all these arrangements carried the time on to the last
week of July; and on the 28th day of that month the _Thetis_ steamed
down the Tyne on her way to Cowes, Jack having decided to give as much
vraisemblance as possible to his apparent ownership of the vessel, and
to the pretence that he was yachting for health's sake, by putting in
the month of August in the Solent, during which the order for arms,
ammunition, etcetera, would be in process of execution. Although Jack
was not a racing man--the _Lalage_ being of altogether too ancient a
type to pose as a racer--he was by no means unknown in the yachting
world, and he found a host of acquaintances ready and willing to welcome
his appearance in Cowes Roads, especially coming as he did in such a
fine, handsome little ship as the _Thetis_; and for the first fortnight
of the racing the new steamer, with her burgee and blue ensign, was a
quite conspicuous object as, with large parties of friends, both male
and female, on board, she followed the racers up and down the sparkling
waters of the Solent. Jack was precisely of that light-hearted, joyous
temperament which can find unalloyed pleasure amid such surroundings,
and he threw himself heart and soul into the daily gaieties with an
abandon that was sufficient, one would have thought, to have utterly
destroyed all possible suspicion as to the existence of ulterior
motives. Yet, happening to be ashore one afternoon with a party of
f