_Sylph_. She was a pirate, and, like all vessels of
that class, very fast, and would most likely have outsailed the _Sylph_
had she not caught her up a creek. I have purchased her for the government
service, and I propose to place you in command."

Will gave a start of surprise. At his age he could not have expected for a
moment to be given an independent command.

"I have noted your behaviour here, and have looked through the records of
your service since you joined, and I am convinced that you will do credit
to the post. I shall give you a midshipman junior to yourself from the
_Thetis_, and you will have forty hands before the mast. The _Hawke_ is
expected in in a few days, so you can pick five men from her. The rest I
will make up from the other ships. The cutter will be furnished with four
twelve-pounders, and the long sixteen as a bow gun, which she had when she
was captured. Your duty will be to police the coasts and to overhaul as
many craft as you may find committing depredations, of course avoiding a
combat with adversaries too strong for you."

"I thank you most heartily, sir, for selecting me for this service, and
will do my best to merit your kindness."

"That is all right, Mr. Gilmore. I have acted, as I believe, for the good
of the service, and to some extent as an incentive to other young officers
to use their wits."

Will went out with his head in a whirl. He could hardly have hoped, within
a year of his term of service as a midshipman, to obtain a separate
command, and he could have shouted with joy at this altogether unexpected
promotion. The first thing he did was to take a boat and row off in it to
his new command. She was a handsome boat, evidently designed to be fast
and weatherly.

"These beggars know how to build boats much better than how to fight
them," he said, when he had examined her. "Assuredly in anything like a
light wind she would run away from the _Sylph_. The admiral was right when
he said that it was only by chance that she was caught. I hope the fellow
who is going with me is a good sort. It would be awkward if we did not
pull well together. At any rate, as the admiral seems to have picked him
out for the service, he must be worth his salt. Of course I shall have
Dimchurch as my boatswain; he will take one watch and the youngster the
other. It will be hard if we don't catch something."

Having rowed round the cutter two or three times he returned to the shore.
As the little v