er; her commander is a very dashing
officer, and I should like to see that he is well manned."

The two boys had especially noticed and admired the _Furious_, which was a
thirty-four-gun frigate, so next morning, when the new hands were mustered
and told off to different ships, they were delighted when they found their
names appear at the end of the list for that vessel, all the more so
because Dimchurch was to join her also.

"I am pleased, Dimchurch, that we are to be in the same ship with you,"
Will exclaimed as soon as the men were dismissed.

"I am glad too, youngster. I have taken a fancy to you, as you seem to
have done to me, and it will be very pleasant for us to be together. But
now you must go and get your kit-bags ready at once; we are sure to be
sent off to the _Furious_ in a short time, and it will be a bad mark
against you if you keep the boat waiting."

In a quarter of an hour a boat was seen approaching from the _Furious_.
The officer in charge ascended to the deck of the cutter, and after a chat
with the captain called out the list, and counted the men one by one as
they went down to the boat, each carrying his kit.

"Not a bad lot," he said to the young midshipman sitting by his side.
"This pretty nearly makes up our complement; the press gang are sure to
pick up the few hands we want either to-day or to-morrow."

"I shall be glad when we are off, sir," the midshipman said. "I am never
comfortable, after beginning to get into commission, until we are out on
blue water."

"Nor am I. I hope the dockyard won't keep us waiting for stores. We have
got most of them, but the getting on board of the powder and shot is
always a long task, and we have to be so careful with the powder. There is
the captain on deck; he is looking out, no doubt, to see the new hands. I
am glad they are good ones, for nothing puts him into a bad temper so
readily as having a man brought on board who is not, as he considers, up
to the mark."

As they mustered on deck the captain's eye ran with a keen scrutiny over
them. A slight smile crossed his lips as he came to the two boys.

"That will do, Mr. Ayling; they are not a bad lot, taking them one for
all, and there are half a dozen men among them who ought to make
first-rate topmen. I should say half of them have been to sea before, and
the others will soon be knocked into shape. The two boys will, of course,
go into the same mess as the others who have come on board. One of