The admiral’s ship was in the offing as we entered the harbour; and, without the slightest warning or time for preparation after we had made our muster, the old gentleman signalled, much to Tom’s discomposure, that he was coming on board of us for inspection at once.
“A pretty kettle of fish!” exclaimed Tom; “just as if he couldn’t give a fellow time to paint up a bit and look tidy after sweltering all the pitch off her for eighteen months on the coast, and scuttling across the Atlantic as if the deuce were after us, and not a day allowed us to overhaul and make the old ship look presentable—why, it’s too bad!”
“You needn’t grumble, sir,” said I—we were both on the quarter-deck now, and the friend had, of course, to yield to the office—“I’m sure the admiral won’t be able to find much fault with the Porpoise, even if he were predetermined to do so, as she’s in apple-pie order!”
And so she was; while her crew, who almost worshipped Tom and would have followed him to a man anywhere, were in the highest state of discipline and health, the African fever having disappeared almost as soon as we lost sight of the pestilential West Coast and got into blue water.
“Do you think so, Follett?” he said more calmly.
“Certainly,” I answered, “I would back her against any other vessel on the station for being in the highest state of efficiency.”
“I’m glad you think so, Gerald,” he said to me aside, so that the middies who went to man the side ropes for the admiral at the gangway could not hear him. “You know these big guns are always sharp on a fellow who holds a first command; and, as I have no interest to back me up at the Admiralty board, I don’t want a bad report to go in against me, and a black mark be set before my name for ever!”
“Don’t you fear, Tom,” said I cheerfully, “you’ll pass muster with flying colours!”
Well, the admiral came on board and the inspection turned out just as I expected.
Not only was the gallant chief satisfied with the condition of the Porpoise; but, after having mustered the men at quarters, and having them exercised at gun-drill and cutlasses, he was so pleased that he publicly complimented Tom Finch on the state of his ship and crew, saying that they were not only creditable to him, but to the service generally.