lengthened out to a portentous extent. He saw he had brought his pigs to the wrong market for once, and he hurriedly exclaimed,—

“Beg pardon, sir, I’m very sorry the stuff is not to your liking; but I think we can suit you, if you’ll be so good as to step this way. Perhaps that other is rather old, but we’ve a lot of it in store, and we’re bound to get rid of it somehow. Now here, sir, is some cordage that was only brought in fresh last week from the ropemaker’s; how’ll that do, sir?”

“Ah!” said the captain, examining it critically, “that is nearer the mark, decidedly. That ought to do for you, ought it not, Mr Chester?” turning to me.

“Perfectly well, sir,” I replied. “I should be quite satisfied to be served with rope of that quality.”

“Have you your order with you?” asked Captain Brisac.

“Yes, sir,” I replied; “here it is.”

“Then serve this young gentleman at once,” he said authoritatively to the storekeeper; “and be careful what you are about with that old ‘junk,’ or you will be getting yourselves into serious trouble over it.”

The storekeeper went away to get some assistance, and while he was gone, I availed myself of the opportunity to thank the skipper for the service he had just rendered me; after which he shook hands, saying he was in a great hurry: but if I could get leave that evening, he would be very happy if I would dine with him at the “George” at six, sharp. I thanked him duly for his kind invitation, but declined it, as I felt that my absence might possibly be a source of inconvenience to Mr Annesley, which I explained.

“Quite right, Mr Chester—quite right,” returned he; “never allow pleasure to interfere with duty, if you wish to make headway in your profession. I shall perhaps be seeing Captain Hood—who is your new captain, I believe—this evening, and if so, I will put a spoke in your wheel for you. Good-bye!”

I was alongside the “Juno” with my cargo, just in time to get it hoisted out before the men went to dinner. Mr Annesley met me at the gangway, as I climbed up the side, and asked me how I had got on, and what sort of stuff I had brought with me? I related my morning’s adventures, and told him how Captain Brisac had helped me out of my difficulty with the dockyard storekeepers, winding up by calling his attention to the quality of the rope, which was just then being hoisted in.

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