“I’ll tell you, Jack. Just throw your ear-ports wide open, and belay that frisky little tongue of yourn, and I’ll tell you in less time than it would take a monkey to run up the main-to-gallant-mast backstay.” “Blaze away, Tom!” replied Jack impatiently. “Ay, ay, my lad: here goes. When you’re mustered, and Mr. Bankhead goes round lookin’ at every man from keel to truck, and gazin’ down into his peepers as though he’d lost his jack-knife down them,--I say, my oily little butter-chops, don’t you do so much as wink at him. I say, Jack, you mustn’t know Mr. Bankhead from Adam’s great-grandfather. If he wants to know you, he’ll tell you on’t. If he wants to shake hands with you, he will send the ship’s cook to let you know it three weeks aforehand, so’t you can be all ready for the honor that’s in store for you. Mind that, Jack; and you’ve larnt a lesson that’ll make a seaman of you.” And just then the “people” were mustered, and Jack and his friends tumbled up on the spar-deck to undergo the scrutiny of the executive officer of the Harrisburg. CHAPTER VII. THE HARRISBURG. It was fortunate for Jack Somers, that, when the crew were mustered to enable the officer to make his selection, he was prepared by the lesson of Tom Longstone for his interview with Mr. Bankhead. As the old man-of-war’s man had suspected, our sailor had fully anticipated a very cordial greeting from his friend, the first-lieutenant of the Harrisburg; and, without the explanation he had received upon the gun-deck, he would have been very much hurt by the cold and stiff manners of that gentleman. As it was, he expected nothing in the nature of a courteous acknowledgment of their former acquaintance. But in this he was happily disappointed; for though Mr. Bankhead did not indulge in anything like familiarity with him, and did not even shake hands with him, he was greeted with a pleasant smile, which was sufficiently significant to him. “I am glad to see you again, Jack,” said he, in addition to the condescending smile which made our sailor-boy the envy of a score of blue-jackets who noticed it. “Of course you will go with me.” “Thank you, sir,” promptly replied Jack, as he touched his cap to the lieutenant with a degree of respect which exhibited the remarkable progress he had made in discipline. “Where are your friends, Jack?” added Mr. Bankhead. “This is Tom Longstone, your honor,” answered Jack, giving an extra flourish of discipline to his reply.