"And now, lieutenant, you will be kind enough to rate William Stubbs on the books as boatswain."
"Aye, aye, captain," said Willis, handing his whistle to Bill.
"Pipe to breakfast," said the captain.
"Aye, aye, sir," replied the new boatswain, sounding the whistle.
"By the way," said Littlestone, turning to Jack, "I do not see the surgeon you spoke of on board. How is this?"
"He is on board for all that," said Jack, drawing an official looking document out of his pocket; "be kind enough to read that."
The captain accordingly read as follows:—
"Havre, 15th October, 1812.
"This is to certify that Mr. Jack Becker has, for some time, been a student in the hospitals of this town, and that he has successfully passed through a stringent examination as to his acquaintance with the diagnosis and cure of various diseases; as also as to his knowledge of the practice of physic and surgery generally.
"He has specially directed his attention to the treatment of cancer, and has performed several operations for the eradication of that malady to the satisfaction of the surgeon in chief and my own.