"If you please, sir," said the butler, putting his head in at the door, "Joe Gumley is outside, asking for Mr. Hardy." "Show him in," cried Mr. Bastable. "Arternoon, sir," said Gumley, stumping in with the bulldog at his heels. He held his glazed hat clumsily, and looked not quite at ease. "I be come over for two things, Squire; number one, to say thank’ee to Mr. Hardy; number two, to axe a question." "Never mind about number one, Gumley," said Jack. "Heave away at number two." "Begging your pardon, sir, one always comes afore two, and ye can’t alter nature. I take it kindly, sir, and I thank ’ee from the bottom of my heart, for your goodness to a’ old mariner what has only one leg sound and rheumatiz in both. Here I’ve got, sir, a paper, and as near as I can make it out—’tis terrible writing for a admiral, to be sure—Admiral Horniman says he has great pleasure in app’inting Joseph Gumley watchman at the dockyard, ten shillings a week, cottage and rum free. I know who done that: Admiral Horniman would never ha’ heard o’ Joe Gumley but for Mr. Hardy. God bless ’ee, sir, for remembering of a poor wooden-legged old sailor what had to take to growing artichokes and other landlubbers’ thingummies in the king’s name." "The admiral couldn’t have found a better man," said Mr. Bastable, to cover Jack’s confusion. "But what’s number two?" "Number two is this, sir. Do this here app’intment take in Comely? ’Cos if it don’t with all respecks to Mr. Hardy and the admiral, I sticks to artichokes. Comely and Gumley—they sign on together." "And nobody wants to split you, Gumley," said Jack. "Go and see the admiral, and take Comely with you—only hold him in, because the admiral’s rather peppery, and Comely might made a mistake. He will know that with Comely and Gumley to watch it, the dockyard will be as safe as the rock of Gibraltar." "Ay, ay, sir. Then we takes on that there app’intment. Comely and me—in the king’s name." THE END