“What place do you elect?” asked the principal. “I am sure you will come next, and I shall take the position of first lieutenant of our steamer,” whispered Tom to his late captain. “Bother with you! don’t do any thing of the sort! my name may not come till the fortieth, and then where shall we be?” protested O’Hara. “He will take the place of captain of the Frisbone,” he added, turning to the principal. “You must speak for yourself, Mr. Speers,” said the principal, with a smile. “Will you tell me what name comes next on the list, Mr. Lowington?” asked Tom. “I cannot do that,” replied the principal, shaking his head. “And I hope no student will give way for another.” “Captain of the Frisbone,” replied Tom, who would gladly have given up the position in favor of O’Hara. Wainwright came in third, and selected his present office in the Tritonia. “O’Hara is the fourth on the list,” the principal proceeded. Tom Speers engineered a very warm demonstration in favor of his friend, when the announcement was made, as O’Hara had done when his own was mentioned. “I am knocked out of my place!” exclaimed Vroome, the captain of the Josephine. But O’Hara, without an instant’s hesitation, selected the position of first lieutenant of the Frisbone, and then he wanted to hug Tom. “Murray,” read the principal from the list. The Josephines shook again; but Murray preferred his old place as first lieutenant of the Prince, for he and the captain were very dear friends, and were always together with the doctor when they went on shore. Vroome fortunately came next, and the Josephines were put out of misery. The principal went through the list, and it was found by the students, that the officers were not very different from what they had been before, except in the few cases where extraordinary efforts had been made. With hardly an exception, they preferred to remain in the vessels they had belonged to before. Scott came out third lieutenant of the Tritonia, and Blair recovered his lost place in the cabin, Richards having fallen out of it. Gregory and Clinch were seamen, and chose to serve in the Prince. “Tom Speers, you are ten times the man I took you to be,” said Judge Rodwood, grasping the hand of his ward, when he got near enough to him to do so. “I am sure your uncle’s fortune, or that part of it that came to you, will go to the right place. I congratulate you, Capt. Speers, and I know you are worthy of the place you have won.” “Thank you, sir,” replied Tom, glowing with excitement. “I set out for the position, or one just like it, and I have got it. Of course you will not expect me to leave the squadron now?” “Certainly not; but as soon as you are twenty-one I shall hand the Marian over to you; and any time before that, when you choose to leave the command of the Frisbone, she is at your service.”