"All hands, 'bout ship!" now resounded through the ship as it was repeated in the variety of basses of the boatswain and his mates, at either hatchway--one of the youngsters of the watch running down at the same time to acquaint the officers, in his shrill falsetto, with that which had been roared out loud enough to startle even the deaf purser. The first-lieutenant, followed by the master, brushed by him, and was up the ladder before his supererogatory communication could be delivered. "How cursed annoying!" cried Courtenay. "I was just feeling a little better, and now I shall be worse than ever." "You recollect in the `Tempest,'" said Price, "where Shakespeare says--" "Forecastle, there!" roared out Captain M---, from the quarter-deck, in a voice that was distinctly heard below. "By Jove, you'd better skip for it, or you'll have what Captain M--- says. He's hailing your station," said Courtenay, laughing--a piece of advice immediately acted upon by Price, who was up the ladder and on the forecastle in a few seconds.--"And I must go up too. How cursed annoying to be stationed in the waist! Nothing to do, except to stop my ears against the infernal stamp-and-go of the marines and after-guards, over my head; sweet music to a first-lieutenant, but to me discord most horrible. I could _stamp_ with vexation." "Had you not better _go_ first and _stamp_ afterwards?" observed the surgeon, drily. "I think I had, indeed," replied Courtenay, as he bolted out of the gun-room door.--"Cursed annoying! but the captain's such a bilious subject." CHAPTER TWENTY. This chair shall be my state, this dagger my sceptre, and this cushion my crown. HENRY IV. PART I. We must now descend to the steerage, where our hero is seated in the berth, in company with a dozen more (as they designated themselves, from the extreme heat of their domicile) _perspiring_ young heroes, who were amusing themselves with crunching hard biscuits, and at the same time a due proportion of those little animals of the scaribee tribe, denominated weevils, who had located themselves in the _unleavened bread_, and which the midshipmen declared to be the only fresh meat which they had tasted for some time. Captain M---'s character stood so high at the Admiralty, that the major part of the young _aspirants_ who had been committed to his charge were of good family and connections. At that time few of the aristocracy or gentry ventured to send their sons into the navy; whereas, at present, none but those classes can obtain admission.