“Thank you, Jacob,” answered Ralph, putting out his hand to grasp that of the speaker, who wrung his heartily.
“Have you ever before served in a King’s ship?” asked Jacob.
“No, I have never so much as been on board one before,” said Ralph.
“Then I can be of use to you in putting you up to a thing or two,” said old Jacob, and forthwith he began to explain the way in which the duty was carried on.
Ralph listened attentively, and made such good use of the knowledge he had gained that he was able from the first to do his duty as well as any one. He was fortunately stationed at the gun of which Jacob was captain, and the old sailor took pains to instruct him in handling it. Naval gunnery not being in those days the art it has since become he was soon a proficient.
“How, my lad, came you to say that you have never before served on board a man-of-war?” asked the first lieutenant one day, observing his activity.
“Nor have I, sir,” answered Ralph, touching his hat. “I never handled a gun before I joined this ship.”
“You do very well, then, and may look out for a higher rating before long,” observed Mr Handsel, passing on.
This remark somewhat raised Ralph’s spirits. The captain himself had observed his activity and neat appearance, and the thorough way in which he did everything to which he put his hand. One day the signalman was on the sick-list. The post is a responsible one when a number of ships are sailing in company, as a watch has to be kept on the whole fleet and signals constantly made and answered. The captain sent for Ralph, and after a few questions directed him to attend to the duty. He performed it with his usual attention and intelligence. It kept him also on the quarter-deck and under the eyes of the officers. As is customary, the midshipmen assembled under the master each day at noon and at other periods with their sextants or quadrants to take observations. Some of the younger ones Ralph remarked handled their instruments rather clumsily, and evidently did not understand their use.
“I say, Dickenson, for the life of me I cannot manage to shoot the old sun with this thing, it only puts my eyes out; and yesterday again my day’s work was all wrong somehow or other,” said Mr Paul Chandos, a youngster who had just come to sea, to another midshipman who had also not been many months in the Navy.