“Well, Somers?” said Mr. Bankhead kindly, as he smiled at the difficulties with which Jack was beset. “I beg your honor’s pardon!” stammered Jack, taking off his cap; “but I wanted to speak a word to you about Becket.” “What, Somers?” “If you please, sir, I would like to see him rated as he was before that affair,” added Jack, after a deal of stumbling and blundering. “Cockswain of the captain’s gig? Impossible! You would be disrated if that were done.” “Don’t mind me, if you please, sir; and I would thank your honor more than any other man in the ship if it could be done.” “We may do something else for him; but I object to disrating you,” replied Mr. Bankhead. “You are a good-hearted fellow, Somers; and you shall not suffer for it.” Jack argued like a lawyer; alleging that it would be peculiarly grateful to the feelings of his topmate to be restored to his old rating. It would wipe out the stain upon his character, and be better than anything else that could possibly be done for him. At last, moved by all these arguments, Mr. Bankhead promised to submit the matter to Captain Mainwright. Half an hour afterwards, the word was passed for Somers to appear at the mainmast; which is the high court of equity on board a man-of-war. The captain was there, and heard our sailor-boy repeat his request. “Somers, why didn’t you jump over after Mr. Bankhead?” said he in a quizzing tone. “Because your honor told me not to jump overboard even after the best friend I had in the world. Besides, sir, I was not present when the accident happened.” “I grant his request, Mr. Bankhead; but Somers shall be rated as a quartermaster hereafter.” “Thank your honor!” exclaimed Jack, who, though happy to have Becket receive his due, was not at all anxious to lose his own rating as a petty-officer. Becket was sent for, and made as happy as a man could be by the restoration of his rating as cockswain of the captain’s gig. CHAPTER XX. THE STEAMER MIDDY. “I’m much obleeged to you, Jack Somers, for what you done,” said Becket, as they sat down in the mizzen-top, on the evening after the conference at the mainmast. “I knew, after what had happened, that the first-luff would want you to have your old place; and I thought I’d help him out a bit,” replied Jack. “It was handsome of you, Jack; and, with all my faults, I’m not mean enough to keep still after what you’ve done for me. You’ve been unanimous--no, that’s not what the shore lubbers call it.” “Magnanimous,” added Rushington, whose vocabulary was more extensive than that of the mass of man-of-war’s men. “Ay, ay: that’s the word. It’s as long as a frigate’s cable; but it’s just what I meant. You saved my life, and you have always treated me handsomely, Somers. Now you’ve put me back just where I was before. I don’t want to be foolish, Jack; but I’d do anything in the world for you.” “Thank you, Becket. I’m glad I had a chance to do you a good turn.”