The commanding officer spoke to me kindly, saying he was sorry to see me in such a position; but, all the same, the offence being one which he said he could not possibly excuse, as he was determined to stop the pernicious habit of smoking, which, if indulged in by young boys, would ruin their constitutions for life, he sentenced me to have six strokes, the usual penalty. Accordingly, `the horse' kept for the purpose, a sort of rough and round wooden structure with four posts for legs, similar to those saddle- blocks seen in harness shops, was rigged, and one of the gunner's mates gave me the allotted number of administrations of the cane that I had earned. The boys on board the _Saint Vincent_ in their slang called this stroking business `stroniky'; and they have a rude rhyme anent it, which embodies likewise what they catalogue as the hardships of the service-- "Pea doo and bolliky, Hard work and stroniky, Who wouldn't join the Navy!" I bore my punishment unflinchingly, for, really I knew I deserved it; but, although the gunner's mate did not spare his arm and the cuts he gave me with his cane stung sharply, sharper than the pain I felt physically was the consciousness that I had lost my good character! My leave, too, was stopped, so that I did not get home for a month; not that I cared about this much, for, to tell the truth, I hardly liked to face father and Jenny till the recollection of my punishment had become somewhat deadened by time and the chaff of my messmates. They did not attach the disgrace that I did to my experience of `stroniky.' On the contrary, many anecdotes were told anent it after turning in that evening, the time when we indulged in yarning amongst ourselves after `lights out' was sounded, and all was darkness on the lower deck. One story told was that of a young Scotchman, who, with the characteristic thoughtfulness of his race, while blubbering, and yelling out `Mudder--Mudder--Mudder--Mudder!' throughout the operation, yet calculated accurately the duration of his ordeal, shouting in the most matter-of-fact voice when given the last stroke, `That's sax!' If not so particular as this Scotch lad in respect of numbering the strokes I received, their effect was much more lasting in my case; for, adopting Mick's advice rather late in the day, I threw overboard the remaining stock of tobacco and pipes I had stowed in my `ditty box' below and abjured smoking so long as I remained in the training-ship, not resuming the habit until some years later when I was grown up and was on active service abroad. My good character, too, returned to me after a time; and I may say, without boasting, I never lost it again while I remained on board the _Saint Vincent_, keeping steady and trying to do my duty through good report and ill until I left the ship. A couple of months later on, also, I became also restored to the captain's favour in rather a funny fashion.