"Now, keep your hair on straight, Tom Bowling," said the former to me, giving me a good grip of his fist, for he was a very hearty sort of man. "I have had my eye on you while you have been aboard here; and I quite believe you'll turn out the right sort and work your way up to your warrant, if you only keep straight, long before I am laid on the shelf, my boy!" "Faith, Tom," whispered Mick to me in an aside that was quite loud enough for the `Jaunty' to catch his remark, "ivverybody, sure, 's kapin' ther' oye on ye; an' ef all the jokers go on loike thet, ye'll be havin' what ye're moother called t'other day, bedad, a' 'tack ov `oye- strikes,' if ye don't look out sharp!" "Ah, my h'Italian friend!" said the master-at-arms, who overheard him, with a broad grin on his face, which was reflected on that of Mr Brown; "so you're going to leave us too, eh! Well, as some writing chap says somewhere or t'other in some book I've read, we could have better spared a better boy than you, Paddy. You've been a good lad too, in spite of your larks; and I hope you'll get on well in the service, like your chum Tom Bowling here. Stick to him, and he'll keep you straight." So saying, he shook hands with Mick the same as he had done with me, Mr Brown following suit in an equally hearty fashion; and shouldering our bags, we all went down the accommodation ladder and took our seats in the cutter. Just as we were shoving off, Mick spied old Jellybelly on duty at the gangway, and he could not help giving him a parting shot. "Good luck to ye, Mr Tarbolt, an' more power to yer elber, sor," he cried out with much effusion. "Be jabers, Oi'll kape me oye out fur to say ef Oi can pick up a roight-down comfable arm-cheer fur ye to take a sate whin ye gits toired, sure, a-standin' whin ye're on the watch!" There was a subdued titter from all the other fellows, both them in the boat and the rest who were out on the booms and standing by the entry- port, and old Jellybelly shook his fist in a threatening manner at Mick; but the smile on his face showed that he took the old joke in good part. The last I saw of the old ship as we rowed away up the harbour was a row of grinning faces looking in our direction, and the lines being triced up fore and aft with the hammock-cloths and clothes of the boys hung out to dry, Tuesday, the day we left, being `washing-day' with us on board. I had experienced a happy time altogether on board her; and, when I come to look back now, the wonder to me, I'm sure, is that every boy who can possibly get permission from his people does not join the service, considering all the advantages he gets on donning the bluejacket rig. Just consider.