The youngster immediately penned a letter to the captain, acknowledging that he was the offender, and requesting that Mr Aveleyn might not be discharged from the service; he also ventured to add a postscript, begging that the same lenity might be extended towards himself; which letter was sent on shore by the captain's gig, when it left the ship the next morning, and was received by Captain L—— at the very same time that young Aveleyn, who had not been sent on shore till late in the evening, called upon the captain to request a reprieve from his hard sentence.
The boy sent up his name and was immediately admitted.
"I presume you know why you are discharged from the service?" said
Captain L——, smiling benignantly.
"Yes, sir," replied the boy, holding his head down submissively, "because of that accident—I'm very sorry, sir."
"Of course you must, and ought to be. Such heavy blows are not common, and hard to bear. I presume you go immediately to Buckhurst?"
"I suppose I must, sir; but I hope, Captain L——, that you'll look over it."
"I shall have very great pleasure in so doing," replied Captain L——; "I hear that it is—"
"Thanky, sir, thanky," replied the youngster, interrupting the captain.
"Then may I go on board again and tell the first lieutenant?"
"Tell the first lieutenant what?" cried Captain L——, perceiving some mistake. "Why, has not Mr W——told you?"
"Yes, sir, he told me it was your orders that I should be dismissed his
Majesty's service."