“He appears to be a very troublesome boy,” replied the captain.
“Very useless, indeed, sir,” replied the first lieutenant. “Sentry, have they found Mr Dott?”
“No, sir; quarter-masters have been everywhere. He’s not in the ship.”
“Very odd!” observed the captain.
“Oh! he’ll turn up soon, sir; but really, Captain Delmar, if you were to give him two or three dozen at the cabin gun, it would bring him to his senses.”
“That I most certainly will do,” replied Captain Delmar; “and I authorise you to do it, Mr Hippesley, as soon as he makes his appearance; it will be of some service to him; but I hope no accident has happened to him.”
“I have no fear of that, sir,” replied the first lieutenant: “if the purser’s steward’s room had been open to-day, I should have sent to see if he was not locked up in another attempt to steal raisins, but that has not been the case. By-the-by, the spirit-room was open this morning, and he may have been down there, and may have had the hatches put over him.”
“Well, we must send another midshipman; call Mr Keene,” said Captain Delmar.
The sentry called me, and I made my appearance.
“Mr Keene, you’ll go on shore to the dockyard in the jolly-boat: give that letter to the master attendant, and wait for an answer.”