Part 18 (1/2)

The nised my faithful friend and protector, dick Driver I could scarcely resist throwing my arms round his neck, as I should have done when a little boy, but the fancy seized me to try whether he would find out who I hen I spoke

”Charley Laurel, the youngfellow likeafter such a little jackanapes; but if you care for him, I shall be happy to try and find him out for you”

”Care for him? I should think I do: he has never been out of ht hiher than my knee, and I love him as if he had been , to a shady spot under some tall trees on one side of the field, away from the rest of the fellows

”I arateful fellow if he did not love you from the bottom of his heart,” I answered

dick looked hard atmy hands, which I held out, he exclaimed:

”Why, as I live, you are Charley yourself! My dear, dear boy, what has come over my eyes, that I should not have known you? and yet, to be sure you are grown into a fine big fellow”

I assured dick that I had known hied his pardon for the trick I had played hirass, and, as ether

dick, as I knew, had sailed again in the _Phoebe_ another voyage to the Pacific, and had only just returned

”To o to sea, if you are going at all, or you will never get rid of your land ways--not that I have any fear of you now The _Phoebe_ is going into dock to receive a thorough repair, and I have promised Captain Renton to rejoin him as soon as she is ready for sea; and I feel sure, if you apply to the owners, they will appoint you I setyou with me, and, to tell you the truth, I should not be happy without you So just you ask them, and they will not say 'nay'”

I told dick there was nothing I so much wished, and proreatly pleased

”The matter is settled then, Charley, and I hope, before ain, and I shall be teaching youet” As it was a half-holiday, I was able to spend several hours with dick We were at length discovered The boys gathered round us, inquiring who dick was; and on hearing that he was an old sailor, begged hied thes, narrated soed to take his departure, that hecoach for London

When the school broke up, I returned to Mr Dear's He at once questioned me as to my inclinations about a profession; and when I told hireat joy, that he wouldin the _Phoebe_

I spent several weeks at his house, before she was ready for sea, eation

On going up to town one day, I found Captain Renton at the office He cordially welcomed me, and assured Mr Dear that he would do his best to make a sailor of me, and to fit me for my duties as an officer

The _Phoebe_ was, I found, bound out to Sydney, New South Wales As she was by this tiht it best that I should go on board at once and commence my duties I found that dick had already joined

”I hope, Charley, you have not forgotten what you knew before you went to school,” he observed ”I have beenwould drive your seamanshi+p out of your head”

”I hope not,” I answered; ”I feel e better when I get to sea”

When Captain Renton left the shi+p that evening, I thought he looked very pale; and the next day the first e to say that he was too ill to come on board Several days passed We then heard that he was unable to proceed on the voyage, and had given up the command to a Captain Slack, who

”I don't like his naood man for all that: still, to my eye, he is very different to Captain Renton, but we shall find out all about hith the _Phoebe_ went out of dock down to Gravesend Soers had already come on board, the rest here joined us

We soon found e got into blue water that Captain Slack was, as dick feared, a very different sort of person from Captain Renton We had no services on a Sunday, no prayers in the cabin; and, though he had appeared quiet enough in harbour, he noore at theHad Mr Dear known the sort of iven hiers see as he did not abuse theood care not to do

”Charley, I hope you have not forgotten to say your prayers,” said dick to me, one day ”The more unGodly people are around us, the ht, and kept froot your Bible with you, I hope”

I had, but I had to confess that I had not once looked into it