estion me about you.

" 'Your junior officer seems to have behaved very well,' he said.

" 'Extremely well, sir,' I said. 'I only wish I had done as well.'

" 'His plan of forming a barricade across the bow so that his little force
were ample to defend it was excellent,' he said. 'Also the blocking up of
the door of communication through the bulkhead was well thought of, and
his final escape through the hatchway and sudden attack upon the enemy was
well carried out. I will make a note of his name. I suppose he is not as
old as yourself, as he is your junior?'

" 'No, sir, he is not yet sixteen, and he was only promoted from being a
ship's boy to the quarter-deck three weeks ago.'

" 'Promoted from being a ship's boy?' the admiral said in surprise.

"Then I had to give a detailed account, not only of the fight that led to
your promotion, but also of your life so far as I knew it.

"When I had finished, the admiral said:

" 'He must be a singular lad, this Gilmore, and is likely to prove an
honour to the navy. Bring him up here at this hour to-morrow; I shall be
glad to see him. There, now, you may go, and don't forget in future that
when you are in charge of prisoners you must always place a guard over
them.'

"So unknowingly you have done me a good turn, Gilmore, for I expect that
if the admiral had not been so interested in you he would not have let me
off so easily. You must put on your best uniform for the first time and go
up to-morrow."

"Well, I am afraid I should have felt very shaky if I had not heard your
account of the admiral. From what you say it is evident he is a kindly
man, and after all you have told him about me he can't have many questions
to ask."

"Well, I feel a good deal easier in my mind, as you may guess," Forster
said. "When I went ashore I felt like a bad boy who is in for a flogging.
I dare say I shall get it a little hotter from the captain, but it will be
just a wigging, and there will be no talk of courts-martial. By what we
saw of the goods on board this craft before this rumpus took place I fancy
the Moor had captured and plundered a well-laden merchantman. In that case
the prize-money will be worth a good round sum, and as the admiral gets a
picking out of it he will be still more inclined to look favourably on the
matter. Here comes the boat to take off the prisoners. I have no doubt
some of them will be hanged, especially as they will not be able to give
any satisfactory ex