Who should I find walking the deck as first lieutenant but old Rough-and-Ready. He put out his hand and shook mine cordially.
“Glad to have you aboard, my lad,” he said. “You see, their Lordships, knowing my value as a first lieutenant, have taken good care not to promote me, lest my peculiar qualities should be lost to the service.”
“I should have been glad to have served under you, had you been in command of a corvette, sir,” I said; “and I’m very happy to be with you again.”
“You’ll find two or three old shipmates on board, for Lord Robert, being a friend of Captain Macnamara, applied to him to recommend such officers as he thought well of. He has immense interest, and I hope that we shall all get our promotion when he’s done with us, though he’ll take very good care it will not be till then.”
I begged Mr Saunders to let me go ashore again to procure an outfit, as I had not got one at Cork.
“Have you brought another family chest with you?” he asked.
“No, sir; I’ll get one of the proper dimensions this time, knowing the size you approve of,” I answered.
On going into the berth, I found, to my infinite satisfaction, my old friends Nettleship and Tom Pim.
“Glad to see you, Paddy,” they exclaimed in the same voice, each grasping a hand.
“We heard rumours that you were appointed to the Jason, but could not ascertain the fact for certain,” said Nettleship. “Well, here you see me, after all the actions I have taken part in, still an old mate. Lord Robert assures me that he will look after my interests; but he has said the same to everybody else, and will probably tell you so likewise.”