As they came on board the receiving-ship they were all drawn up in a line, the roll was called, and they were divided off into messes. The mess to which Frank and his cousin belonged was called "Number Twenty-five." As they were about to be dismissed, the officer who had called the roll said to Archie: "You will be cook of this mess." "Sir?" said Archie, in surprise. "You will be cook of this mess," repeated the officer, in a louder tone. "But what is the matter with you? Are you hard of hearing?" "No, sir; but I can't cook." "Never mind; you can try. You may go below, lads." The men did as they were ordered, and our heroes seated themselves on one of the broadside guns, and Archie said: "I'm in a nice fix, ain't I? I don't know any more about cooking than a hog does about gunpowder." "I will assist you all I can," said Frank; "but I wonder what we shall have for dinner? I hope it will be something good, for I'm as hungry as a bear." At this moment the whistle of the boatswain's mate sounded through the ship, and that personage passed them and called out, in a low voice: "Mess cook Number Twenty-five!" "He means me, don't he?" inquired Archie, turning to his cousin. "I don't know, I'm sure. Ask him." "Mess cook Number Twenty-five," again shouted the mate. "Here I am," said Archie. "Well, you ought to be somewhere else," said the mate, sharply. "Why don't you go and draw your rations?" "I don't know where I should go," answered Archie. "Then fly around and find out;" and the mate turned on his heel and walked away. "Now, that's provoking," exclaimed Archie. "Why couldn't he tell a fellow where to go? I'll tell that officer that I didn't ship for a cook; I shipped to fight. I wish I was at home again." But regrets were worse than useless, and Archie began to look around to find some one who could tell him where to go to draw his rations. At length he met one of the men who belonged to his mess, whose name was Simpson, who told him that he must go to the paymaster's store-room, and offered to show him the way; and, as he saw that Archie was entirely unacquainted with life on shipboard, Simpson told him to come to him whenever he wanted any advice. As Archie entered the store-room, the paymaster's steward, a boy about his own age, who was serving out the provisions, after inquiring the number of his mess, said: "It's lucky that you came in just as you did, for I have sent the master-at-arms after you. If you don't attend to your business better than this, I shall have you put on the black-list for a week or two." Now, Archie had never been accustomed to being "ordered about by any boy of his size," as he afterward remarked, and he felt very much like making an angry reply. But he knew it would only get him into trouble, and, choking down his wrath, he answered: "If any one will tell me what my duty is, I shall be glad to do it." "You haven't been in the navy a great while, have you?" inquired the steward, with a laugh.