By Conduct and Courage

end, a roar of laughter burst from

ith the other boys, and had [pg 54]intended to give him a lesson, but you have done it right well. He may have been on a voyage before, but I would wager that he has never been aloft, and I would back you to be

ubbing decks, and cleaning brass-work. In battle their place was to bring up the powder and shot

r," he said, "may

looked at him

lly want to

o, s

sent, other hands aloft, you may

k you

ld look down without any feeling of giddiness. The lubbers' hole had been pointed out to him, but he was determined to avoid the ignominy of having to go up through it. When he got near it he pau

who was busy there, "do you mean t

t seem to be any d

first time yo

es

out a first-rate sailor. W

looke

to the top of

that you won

cliffs on the Yorkshire coast, and I ha

you find that you are getting gidd

will call if

till he stood on the

said. "I can't think why people mak

and started up. When he reached the cap of the top-gallant mast he sat upon it and looked down at the

nded to the maintop, where the sailor who had spoken to him abuse

are you,

a little past

er been up a

s mast many a time, and I am accustomed to clambering abou

e on his first ascent. Well, I hope, my lad, that you will be as well-behaved as you are active and courageous. I shall keep

wards told the capta

rked. "He will soon be up to the duties, but will have to wait to

any station on the Mediterranean, and have sports between the ships, I should b

at your age, though I had been two years in the navy, to climb up where you did. If there is anything I can do for you at any time I will glad

vigation, but there are some things that I can't make out, and it would be a kin

pman opene

together. However, lad, I will certainly do as you ask me, though I cannot think that, unless you have been at a nautical school, you can

his books. The midshipman was standing at a quiet spot on the dec

ay that you under

out a quadrant, but I have never seen one, and have no idea of its use. But what I wanted to ask

, for I cannot do more than fudge an observation. How on earth did yo

s fourteen. The clergyman's daughter took a fancy to me from the first, and she used to teach me for half an hour a day, which gave me a great advantage over the other boys in the school. I was very fond of reading, and

to get you into th

set the whole village against me, and I should probably have been killed if I had not taken refuge in the coast-guard station. There the officer in charge spoke to me of joi

said. "Well, I must think it over. Now, if there is anythin

shipman solved many of the problems that had troub

tevens said, "that you ha

I went up to the top of

t why did y

ut it, except that it was necessary to keep a steady head. You could do it jus

it will do a

rated as an able seaman, and no longer be regarded as a boy, useful only to do odd jobs. One of the midshipmen is going to give me some help with my navigation. I wish, Tom, you would take

silk purse out of a sow's ear. I hope that soon I shall be able to hit a good round blow at a Frenchman; that is about all I shall be fit for, though I hope I may some day get to be a smart topman. The

casion reached the masthead. Now no more was heard of this, for, as Tom said openly, he was afraid that Will might challenge him to a climbing-match. The next evening the first lieutenant said to the capt

ght as can be; the other is simply a solidly-built fisher-boy who will, I hav

e of a quadrant. Forster asked if I had any objection to his giving him lessons. It is the first time that I ever heard of such a request, and to allow it would be contrary to all idea of discipline; still, a lad of that sort deserves encouragement, and I will talk with the padre concer

excellent one, and I have not much doub

went off at once to

f learning is extraordinary in a boy of his age and with his opportunities, especially in one active and courageous enough to go up to the cap of the top-gallant mast on his first trial in climbing a mast. Certainly I shall be very glad to take the bo

all fully engaged, and there were no lessons with the padre, but on the following day these were resumed

t you, on your part, are ready to do the work. It seems to me almost out of the question that you can be advanced enough to enter upon such studies. That

s Will handed

xact answer I should require to

and from it how to calculate the longitude, which is somewhat more difficult than the latitude. I see you have a good knowledge of figures, and

of study, the books he had read, and the manner i

" he said. "I generally find them great s

umber I want, and see how it works out the result, but why it should do so I have no

od navigator you must grasp the principle, and work the answer out for yourself. When you can do this you will have a right to call yourself a navigator. If you come to me at twelve o'clock to-morrow I will show you how to work a quadrant. The theory is easy. You have but to take the angle

ng the chaplain take his place at the side of the ship a

had come off. Will had gained great confidence in himself when he found that he was able to climb the mast in the ordinary way, while Tom Stevens was able only to crawl up through the lubbers' hole. Goaded to madness by the chaff of the othe

y of his, while I am as hard as nails. No doubt it will be a tough fight if he has a scrap of pluck in him, but I think I will win. Besides,

arity between the years of the combatants, and the liking entertained for Will, brought most of those who were off duty to witness it. The difference between the antagonists when they stripped was very

of the men said, "but if he holds on for the

I doubt whether he can do so; the

young un's muscles down his back. You won't often see

for breath. Now it was Will's turn. He danced round and round his opponent with the activity of a goat, dodging in and delivering a heavy body-blow and then leaping out again before his opponent could get any return. The cheers of the sailors rose louder and louder, and Will heard them shouting: "Go in; finish him, lad!" But Will was too prudent to risk anything; he knew that the battle was in his hands unless he t

IS FIRS

n, Mr. Farrance?" asked the capt

n told me that it was only a fight between two

a boys' fight excites such

he boys, and by no means a satisfa

is big enoug

im as soon as they were together, and it seems he has to-day given him as handsome a thrashing as could be wished for,

t the masts like a monkey, and finally thrashing a fellow two years his senior must be considered as altogethe

eceived his ho

was convinced when we first met that he had nothing behind his brag, though I certainly did not expect to beat him as easily as I did. Well, I

fellow will make it up and think no more about it, but if I am not

tevens, who had cheered loudly and enthusiasticall

f you; as a general thing, as far as I have seen, a fellow who takes to books is no good for anything else, but ever

earning would have made such a difference already. The first lieutenant often says a word to you as he passes, and the padre generally speaks to you when he goes along the deck. It is wonderful what a difference learning makes; not, mind you, that I should ever have gone in for it, even had I known how useful it is. I could never have taken it in, and I am sure the old woman could never have taught me. I suppose some fellows are born clever and others grow to it. And some never are clever at all. That was my way, I suppose. I just learned to spell words of two lette

sorts of books and got lots of information from them. I am afraid, however, it is too late to worry over that. A man may be

e shall fall in

ing to do so. I hope she will be a bit bigger than we are, and I know the ca

Spain one day the look-out at

e?" the first li

but she is certainly a square-rigged ship bo

d mounted the rigging. When he came to the top-gallant crosst

ion of the ship he called to th

t of her sails. She is certainly a Frenchman, and evidently a large frigate. She is ru

-gallant sails. If she hasn't already made us out, I shall be

t it was not for some time that the st

by this time, and she [pg 69]certainly has gained upon us since we first saw her. There i

and ought to be more than a match for the Furious. The vessels gradually approached each other, until at last a shot was thrown across the bows of the Frenchman. She made no reply, but

to him. "I have no doubt she carries heavier metal as well as more guns

iven to fire another shot. There was a cheer as white splinters were seen to fly from the Frenchman's side. Her helm was put up at once, and she swept round and fired a broadside int

; "don't throw away a shot. It is our tur

ns, and then she swung half-round and a broadside

lly from one of the port-holes. They presently heard from the shouts and exclamations of the men that everything was going well, and on looking out they saw that the enemy's foremast had been shot away, and in consequence she was unman

to the enemy's deck. The resistance, however, was short-lived; the enemy had suffered terribly from the raking fire of the Furious, and as the captain and many of the officers had fallen, the senior survivor soon ordered the fla

ew was put on board. The French prisoners were confined below, as they far out[pg 71]numbe

r a time matters proceeded quietly, for the winds were light and baffling, and it took a fortnight to get to their destination. Here th

ed that they had small chance of falling in with anything of their own size on that station. They were told, however, that there had been serious

sighted lying close together. Unfor

m with his glass. "What would I not give for a breath of wind now? But they are not going

me every boat was lowered into the water. Will was looking on with l

bow of my boat," he s

e his way into the bow of the boat amid the jokes of the men. These, howeve

d, although the men bent to their oars with the best will, they gained very slowly. The officers in the various boats encouraged them with their shouts, and the men pulled nobly. Five miles had been passed and but one mile gained. It was evident, howev

t, after another mile, the Moors evidently came to the conclusion that they could not escape by rowing, and at once drew in their oars, lowered their sails, and all formed in line. As soon as

vessel on the left of the line, and the other, under the second lieutenant, to deal with [pg 73]t

h if it comes to fighting. Keep on at a steady pace until

e oars, sent the boats tearing through the water. The pirate craft were all crowded with men, who raised yells of rage and defiance

Farrance, fell upon the enemy with great spirit. Will was the last to climb up out of his boat, but he soon pushed his way forward until he wa

l leapt forward, whirling his cutlass, and by luck rather than skill cut down one of them. The other attacked him and dealt him a severe bl

]board and swam to their consort. As soon as resistance had ceased the lieutenant ordered the majority of the men to retu

ly reinforced the crew of this one. The British, however, were not to be denied. The boats of one division attacked on one sid

the expedition, and the bodies of the dead Moors thrown overboard. When this was done the successful ex

to the ship, which is a good ten miles away. She is still becalmed, and so are we, and unless the wind springs up we shall hardly reach her before nightfall. I don't like to ask

their places in the boats cheerfully, but when night fell

g