In the mess that evening Sneyd had said--
"Look here McTavish, I owe you an apology. I thought no good thing could come out of Nazareth--I mean Aberdeen, but now I cave in."
"Well spoken! Bravo, Sneyd," cried the others. Indeed there was a murmur of approbation all round the table. Sneyd was manly and truly English despite his queer little face.
But McTavish stood up. There was moisture in his eyes. But he stretched out across the table an arm half a fathom long and shook little Sneyd by the hand.
Sneyd suppressed a cry of pain, and there came moisture into his eyes next, though its origin was not quite the same.
The Breezy was to be something more than a mere surveying ship and that is the reason why her officers were one and all chosen from the best young fellows in the Service.
For Britain even now was--well apparently drifting gradually into war, and though the Admiralty believed it would be averted, a good deal of what might be called naval police work would devolve upon the Breezy. She had to be watchful and her duty would not consist entirely in sounding and chart-making.
The surgeon's cabin was not very large, but his books were, and of scientific instruments he possessed not a few. However there was the dispensary at his disposal and Lieut. Wynn also offered him space for books in his own cabin. So McTavish was soon very happy and quite settled down.
It was a merry mess, although very little wine was consumed except when guests came off, as they did at Madeira, St. Helena, Ascension and the Cape.
The middies' mess was just as jolly, and had five right hearty young lads in it, ready at any time to do anything for anybody or for their country.