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[HREE MIDSHIPMEN

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WITH TWENTY-NINE PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS. E

 

 

 

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ROUTLEDGE, VVARNE, AND ROUTLEDGE, Ej-l
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NEW YORK: 56, WALKER STREET. _ :

 

MDCCCLXIII‘

 

  

  

CONTENTb.

CHAPTER I.

Our school and schoell'ellows.—First meeting of Jack Rogers, Alick Murray, and.
Paddy Adair—School adventures—Paddy Adair gets into a scrape—Discussion
as to their future career.—All three resolve to go to sea.——Last half at Eagle
House.——Jaek Rogers at home, and preparations for sea—Paddy Adair makes
the acquaintance of an admiral, and orders him to carry his portmanteau.—-
Admiral Triton, and his advice to the midshipmcn.——Sail for the Mediter-

ranean 1—12.

CHAPTER II.
three midshipmen on board the “ Racer.”—A gale and its consequences—Paddy
runs his head into a marine officer’s stomach, and gets kicked down the hatch-
Way.——-Tlle midshipmen’s revenge—Quirk the monkey.- They give him lessons-
in polite behaviour—Quirk benefits by it, and behaves like Mr. Spry, who does
not consider it a compliment—The Mediterranean reached—Jack and Adair
sent on an expedition. —They do more than is expected of them, and capture a
prize—Find that over-zeal is as bad as no zeal.—-Join the “Firefly.”—A gale

comes on.—The last cable parts—The ship is hurried to destruction 13—26-

CHAPTER III.

guns hove overboard—The ship strikes—Attempts to reach the beach—Jack
offers to swim on shore—Jack’s success—Adair hurt.—-The three midshipmen
spend the night on the wreck—Adair carried on shore—Hospitably treated by
the Greeks.—-Greek pirates—The “Racer” goes in search of them.——Attack

on a pirate fortress 27—39

 

 viii CONTENTS.

CHAPTER 1V.

TThe height stormed—An enemy appears, but scampers ofi'.—-Jack and Paddy’s fight
in the dark—Search for plunder in the pirate’s stronghold—Treasure dis-
covered—The pig suspected and turned into pork—The feast on shore.—
Anxiety for the other boats—The Greek captain complains of ill-treatment.—
Jack and Paddy hear more about the pig—Paddy joins the “ Onyx.”-—-A white
squall.—VVhat has become of the brig ?—Alas, poor Paddy! 40—54:

CHAPTER V.

"The frigate in a squad—Jack overboard—Murray follows to save him—The captain’s

anxiety and attempts to save than—Jack and Alick on the life-buoy.—-Picked
up of course—Bully Pigeon—Roasting the bully.——Pigeon and Tower the
marine—Monsieur de Querkcri and Senor Don Bruno introduced to Mr. Pigeon.
——Prospects of a brush give great satisfaction to every one except Mr.
Pigeon 55—69

CHAPTER VI.

Chase the stranger.—Preparations for the fight—The chase continued.——Sounding.—
The chase on shore—Cause of the war in Syria.—Assistance sent to the ship on
shore—The Egyptian ship blows up.—Endeavours to save the drowning crew.—
Paddy Adair, hurrah l—Paddy restored to his friends.——Adair’s adventures.—
Loss of the “ Onyx.”-—Picked up by the Egyptian ship.—Paddy turned into a
Turl;.—Gratitude of his new shipmates 70—84:

CHAPTER VII.

J ack’s account of the war in Syria—Attack on Beyrout.———A gallant exploit in which
Murray is engaged—A dead midshipman.——Jack and Paddy mourn for Murray.—
The three midshipmen meet once more—Fighting on shore—A flag left behind.
———Murray and Adair volunteer to bring it off—They set off on the adventure.—
No easy undertaking—They gain the flag, but get well peppered by the enemy.
—Dick Needham carries ofi' Adair.—His narrow escape—Attack on Acre—A
terrific explosion—The return home and a paying-off dinner 85—99

 

 CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VIII.

The three midshipmen sail for the coast 0f Africa—Sierra. Leone—The officers of
the “Ranger.”—Their first chase—She disappears.——Seen again—The chase
becalmed.—Attacked by the boats—Proves to be a pirate—Amusements on
shore—The race between the surgeon and lieutenant of marines.—The voyage

in the pirate schooner.—Struck by a tornado. 100—114

CHAPTER IX.

schooner begins to sink.—Hemming and Jack save Adair.—A raft formed.—
Needham secures some provisions.—Suff'erings of the party on the raft—Many

of the negroes die—The water expended—Rain falls—Its true value—A shark

 

caught—A sail.—The stranger approaches—A Spanish man-of—war.—Wreck of
the “San F ernando.”—J ack and Paddy scramble on shore 115—128

CHAPTER X.
gale continues—Lives lost—Rest of the crew brought on shore—Consequence
of discovering acask of spirits—Dreadful scenes on the rock—Mutiny of the
Spaniards—The English fight for their lives.—A raft constructed—The English

embark on it.—See the Spaniards from a distance struggling on the rock—A

friend in need—The three midshipmen again united 129—139

CHAPTER XI.
Life on board an African cruiser.—Chase a slaver.—The chase escapes up a river.—
A boat expedition—The schooner followed up the river.-A desperate fight.—
The capture—Attacked by black pirates.——The schooner capsized—Jack on the

schooner’s keel—Loss of his companions—Terrible conflict.—The schooner
among breakers 140—151

CHAPTER XII.

Proceedings of the rest of the boat party—Another prize captured.—Hemming and
Paddy quit the schooner.—Paddy and the alligator.—The schooner attacked.—

The narrow escape.—A night scene on an African river.—Tormented by foes.—
The prize crossesthe bar.—A vessel seen bottom up.—No one on the wreck.—
W’hat can have become of Jack ?—His friends mourn for him—A night of

anxiety of? the coast—An expedition in search of Jack Rogers 152—161

 

 CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XIII.
Jack Rogers on the wreck—A canoe appears—He hears rather unpleasant proposals
as to his disposal.——Jack carried off a prisoner by the blacks—His life saved by‘
a tiger.——\Vhile his captors run in one direction Jack runs off in another.——Un-
pleasant wanderings in an African forest.——Pursued by his enemies—Jack makes
friends with a monkey, who serves him a good turn—The pirates go off disap-
pointed, and Jack continues his travels—Jack and the black pilot.—Hospitably
received—A blood-hound.—Suspicious visitors—Jack again a prisoner.——Car-
ried before a negro potentate.——Jack tries to show that he has not lost his appe-
tite.—-Ordered to fight his friends 162—175-

CIIAPTER XIV.

J ack in the slaver’s forts—Jack examines the negroes’ firearms—Jack does not prove
a faithful ally to his new comrades—The Spanish pirates look at him with sus-
picion—The old slave-dealcr.—His new commander fires at his head—The Bri-
tish boats attack the fort—The English defeated—The pirates’ triumph short-
1ived.——The English again come on.—The fort stormed—Jack carried ofi‘ by the
Spaniards.-——A pleasant discussion between Don Diego and the black king—Jack
in the negro prison—In spite of his danger and trouble, Jack, having a good

conscience, goes to sleep 176—188

CHAPTER XV.

The last expedition in search of Jack.—IIemming and his numerous friends—Finds-
one in the river.—~V\Tasser, the faithful negro—An important warning—The
party attack the fort—Catch sight of Jack—The explosion—Horrible cruelty
of slave-dealers.——Hemming resolves to persevere in searching for Jack—A
negro deputation—Murray and Adair form a notable plan to rescue
Jack 189—199

CHAPTER XVI.
VVasser’s history—Murray and Adair disguised as negroes.——They approach the
negroes’ fort—Knock down the black sentry and haul Jack out of prison.—
The blacks aroused, the midshipmen pursued.—-A flight for lite—The blood-

 

  

CONTENTS. XI

hound at their heels.—-—Needham 'comes to the rescue—Reach the boat.—-—The
negroes follow—Not yet out of the fire.——-A fierce conflict—Assistance arrives
and the negroes fiy.-—Paddy finds himself turned into a Blackamoor.——The
doctor gives him no hopes of recovering his white skim—A treaty with the
negro sovereign—Presents for his majesty.——Another slaver attacked—Don

Diego again ZOO—“214'~

CHAPTER XVII.

Boarding the slaver.—The slaver’s hold—The crew fire at the English—Don Diogo
escapes—Chase of the Don.—Unkind treatment from friends.—Peppere'd by
mistake—The frigate and her prize—King Bom-Bom.—Jaek and Paddy take
another cruise by themselves, and capture another prize—Jack moralizes.—Jack
doctors his wounded prisoners—The prize on shore—Attacked by her former
crew—Jack and Paddy defend her.———Don Diogo makes his appearance; so,
fortunately, does the “Ranger,” and the Don is disappointed.——-Murray and

Adair sail in the prize ... 215—230

CHAPTER XVIII.

The two midshipmcn commence their adventurous voyage in the prize—A squall.

-—A leak sprung—Their vessel somewhat crazy.—Clear of water—Their gratio
tude t0 heaven.—Too much of a good thing.——The use of monkey skins—Hard
fare.-——More cockroaches than pleasant—How to live on nothings—Fish caught
but of doubtful appearance.-—Land in sight—Cape Coast Castle.-The governor’s
advice—They do not take it.——Put to sea—Another gale—Pleasures of their
life on board the “ Venus.”——A sail in sight—A damn—Preparations for battle.
—They escape from the slaven—Sailmaking—Another gale, a heavy sea and its

consequences 231—247

CHAPTER XIX.
The gale continues—Murray lashed to the helm.——The pumps mannedr—VVasser
disabled—Rain in the tropics.-—The midshipmen still persevere—Attempts to
weather Cape Palmas.—Drift towards the shore—Threatening aspect of natives.

—Perilous condition—A breeze springs up.—Once more driven back to Cape

 

 CONTENTS.

Coast Castle. The governor urges them to land—They stick by their vessel,
and Needham and their crew stick by them.——A shark among bathers.——VVasser’s
sad fate.———-They catch a bigger fish than they expect—Battle with the shark.—
Adair hurt—They have been three months at sea.—Murray’s motto “Perse-
vere.”-Another gala—The “Venus” sinking—Jack appears at the nick of

time 248—262

CHAPTER XX.

“Venus” kept afloat—The three midshipmen again together.—Reach Sierra
Leone—Murray and Adair land with their pets—The midshipmen make friends

on shore.—Invited to dine, and more guests come than expected. Pranks of

Queerface and the parrots—African fruits.—The fashionable rendezvous at Free—
town.—Old Hobnail.—-—-His friendly epistle to Murray—Paddy and the Leeches.
——Elephant Bay—Slave hunting along shore.-—Chase a felucca 263~277

CHAPTER XXI.

chase continued—A false light.—The boat follows alone—The felucca again
seem—The chase boarded—A cool reception by Don Diogo.—-A disappoint-
ment—An old bird not easily caught.-—News of an attack on Lagos.—Prepa-
rations for a fresh attack—Fleet collect—The negro stockades attacked.—
Desperate fighting and terrible s1aughter.—Jack’s and Adair’s anxiety for
Murray—The battle oven—A night in the river.—Sufi'erings of the wounded.—
Ne news of Murray ... 278—292

CHAPTER XXII.

Morning breaks—Murray appears.—-—The fight renewed—The black town in flames.
—Lagos taken, and King Akitoye placed on the throne.—Queerface in the
character of Don Diogo.—Jack and Adair start on another boat expedition.—
Sight the felucca.—Gallant attack on her.— Queerface astonishes the Spaniards.
—The felucca captured, but the tables are soon turned—Don Diogo appears on
the scene—Jack and Adair prisoners—Ordered by the pirates to prepare for
death—Paddy about to be hung, is saved by an apparition.——The Don fires at

 

 CONTENTS. xiii

Jack, but misses his aim, though Needham does not miss his, and the Don is
floored—Again the tables are turned—Mick Murray appears just as he is
wanted.—The Don’s fate—The three midshipmen return home 293—306

CHAPTER XXIII.

The “ Dugong” and “ Blenny.”—The three midshipmen sail for China.— Bully
Pigeon again—A would-be philosopher put down by a parrot.—Jack’s new
charge.—Singapore.—-News of a merchantman attacked by pirates—The frigate
and brig sail in search of them.—A boat expedition—Master Queerface again.—
Pirate villages.—Hoddidoddi, the pilot.——A pirate fleet.—The British boats
make a gallant attack on it ... 307—319

CHAPTER XXIV.

Jack’s anxiety for his young charge—Harry wounded—Hot fighting. —A tornado.—
The boats thrown on shore.——The English fortify themselves on the island.—
Sounds of an enemy apprcaching—Preparations to resist an attack.-— The
pirates come on.——Queerface in battle—Does not prove a brave soldier.———Polly the
parrot.—Where did she come from ?—The Malays renew the attack 319—327

CHAPTER XXV.

Jack defends young Harry—Again the Malays come on.—Ammunition of the Eng-
lish expended—Desperate condition—Still, like British sailors, they struggle
on.—The frigate’s guns are heard.——The Malays take to flight—The British
pursue—Jack nurses Harry.—Lieutenant Cherry appears.-—The frigate chases
the pirate fleet—The boats follow her.—The frigate on shore 328—333

CHAPTER XXVI.

The frigate remains fast—The night comes on.——Suspicious sounds heard in the dis-
tance—The frigate attacked—A fierce conflict in the dark.—Fire-ships sent
against the frigate.—Jack’s gallantry in towing them off—A man overboard.—
Jack jumps after him.—Jack finds Murray drifting senseless towards the
enemy—Attempts to tow him back to the frigate but encounters a fire-ship, and

floats into the very jaws of the enemy 334—340

 

 CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXVII.
Adair is about to follow his friends-A boat lowered, but capsized-Search in vain
made for Jack and Alick.—The fire-ships go out and the frigate gets afloat, and
sails from among the reefs—Chase made after the pirate fleet—It escapes—No

news of the “Blenny."——Canton.—The frigate sails in search of the brig.—

Falls in with an opium clipper.—News of the brig... 341—4349

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Jack and Murray alongside a Chinese boat—Instead of being brained are hauled on
board—An unexpected friend.—-—Jos and Hoddidoddi.—Jos a philosopher.—
The midshipmen prisoners—Are well fed, but have unpleasant ideas as to the
reason of this—Chinese habits and customs—An American merchantman in
sight—The American captain fights bravely, but the pirates capture hen—A

female shriek is heard, and Jack and Alick rush to the rescue 350—359

CHAPTER XXIX.

Jack and Alick gallantly rescue two ladies—They bear them of? to their own junk.—
They then save the American captain and mate—The ladies are converted into
gentlemen—Jack’s politeness to Miss Cecile, and guarantees the gallantry of his
brother midshipmen.—The Yankees and midshipmen fraternise.——The pirates
attacked by greater rogues than themselves—They request their prisoners to
fight for-t11em.—The night battle between the pirate fleets 360—368

CHAPTER XXX.

Jack’s anxiety for his fair companions—The fight continues, and the midshipmen
begin to fire away in earnest—A junk blows up at a convenient moment—A
boat with help appears, and all the party attempt to make their escape—Chinese

, provisions—Their hopes sink—Pirate junks appear.—Again made prisoners,

and separated from their lady companions 369—376

‘ CHAPTER XXXI.

Jack and Alick’s adventures on board the junk—They make themselves as happy as

circumstances will allow—Chinese fleet close round a brigs—The “Blenny "

 

  

CONTENTS. XV

in danger.—How to help their friends—The brig's crew fights manfully.—A junk
blows up.—Jack swims on board the brig—«The “ Blenny ” boards a junk, and
saves llIurray.-——The brig closely beset by foes—Her crew prepares to defend
her to the last ‘ 377——386

CHAPTER XXXII.

The brig still holds out—Captain Hemming calls on his crew to fight to the last.—
More foes come on.——Boats are seen approaching. ——A breeze springs up.—The
junks fly, and their crews dispose of themselves in an unsatisfactory manner.———
Jack and Murray find themselves on board a junk—Turn into Chinese, and
take a cruise—Meet another junk.——Are about to engage—Recognize a friend,
but are not recegnized.-——The midshipmen go to the rescue of the French ladies.

—--Their guides escape—Jack chases a Malay in the water s,“ 387—394

CHAPTER XXXIII.

The Malay swims, and so does Jack, who forgets that there are sharks about—The
seamen catch one guide, and a shark catches another.—Fall in with more junks.
——Pursue them into a bay—Destroy boats on shore.—Land.———A parley.——The
guide attempts to escape, and is shot—An attack on the pirates, who fly.—Search
for the French ladies—The ladies discovered in unfeminine attire—The fair
Cecile becomes less fair in Jack’s eyes—They are restored to their friends—An

old acquaintance, but an altered man 395—41044.

CH AFTER XXXIV.

The pirates are punished wherever met—The death of an old schoolfellow.—-Hong
Kong—The midshipmen’s opinion of the China wan—Preparations for the fight
—Sail up the river—A fort attacked—Fierce conflict—Battle with the junks.——
J unks boarded—Pursuit of junks.—Adair’s unpleasant news from home—An

expedition up a river.—Paddy considers the Chinamen very good sort of fellows,

but soon has reason to change his mind—The party attacked by overwhelming
numbers—A defence, back to back—Murray and Adair both wounded—Jack
with reinforcements appears—Fight their way to the boats—The Three Mid-
shipmen receive their commissions as lieutenants, and thus their chronicler is

compelled to bring their history to an end ... 405 —-416

 

 HI—l
HO

. ADAIR RESTORED TO HIS FRIENDS

wooqmoxvpooww

. MUTINY OE THE SPANIABDS . .

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

+

. PADDY ADAIR MAKES THE ACQUAINTANCE OF AN ADMIRAL
. LIEUTENANT SPRY AND THE MONKEY - - - -
. NIGHT WATCH OF THE THREE MIDSHIPMEN ON THE WRECK (Front) .
. THE GREEK PIRATE .

n o a a o

. THE THREE MIDSHITMEN GALLANTLY RECOVER THE BRITISH FLAG
. A RACE IN THE TROPICS. . . .

THE HORRORS OE SHIPWRECK

- a o n

. JACK ROGERS ADRIET ON THE KEEL OF THE SCHOCNER.
. KING BOM-BOM

. DON DIoGo CARRYING CEE JACK ROGERS .

. GAGGING A SENTRY .
. BOARDING A SLAVER .
. A FEAST 0E COCKROACHES .

ADAIR WOUNDED BY A SHARK

. QUEEREACE’S ANTICS AT A DINNER-PARTY

. DON DIOGO’S COOL RECEPTION OE THE BLUEJACKETS
. BOAT ATTACK ON A PIRATE FLEET . . . .
. JACK RoGERs DEEENDING HARRY BEVAN .

. JACK’S BRAVERY IN TOWING OFF THE FIRE SHIPS

. BOAT CAPSIZED

. JACK AND MURRAY ALONGSIDE A CHINESE BOAT .
. JACK AND ALICK GALLANTLY RESCUE Two LADIES

. DEATH OF THE PIRATE CAPTAIN
. CHOPSTICKS AND TOOTHPICKS .
. A NAVAL COMBAT IN MASQUERADE .

n o . n

. MALAY PIRATE CAPTURED BY A SHARK . . .
. MARINES AND BLUEJACKETS ATTACKING A HILL FORT

 

 

  

THE THREE MIDSHIPMEN.

—__+.__.

CHAPTER I.

' Our school and schoolfellows.—First meeting of Jack Rogers, Alick Murray, and
Paddy Adair.——School adventures—Paddy Adair gets into a scrape.—Discussion
as to their future career.—All three resolve to go to sea—Last half at Eagle
House—Jack Rogers at home, and preparations for sea—Paddy Adair makes the
acquaintance of an admiral, and orders him to carry his portmanteau.-—Admiral
Triton, and his advice to the midshipmen.—Sail for the Mediterranean.

OURs was a capital school, though it was not a public one. It was

not far from London, so that a coach could carry us down there in
little more than an hour from the White Horse Cellar, Piccadilly. On
the top of the posts, at each side of the gates, were two eagles; fine
large birds I thought them. They looked out on a green, fringed with
tall elms, beyond which was our cricket-field. A very magnificent red-
brick old house rose behind the eagles, full of windows belonging to
our sleeping-rooms. The play-ground was at the back of the house,
with a grand old tulip-tree in the centre, a tectum for rainy weather on
one side, and the large school-room on the other. Beyond was a good-
sized garden, full of apple and pear trees, but, as we very seldom went
into it, I do not remember its appearance. Perhaps, were I to see the
place again, I might find its dimensions somewhat altered. The master
was a first-rate schoolmaster. What his attainments were, I cannot
say ; but he understood managing boys admirably. He kept us all in
very good order, had us fairly taught, fed us with wholesome, if not
luxurious, food, and though he used his cane freely, treated us justly.
We held him in awe, and yet we liked him.

It was after the summer holidays, when I had just got back, I

B

 

 2 THE THREE MIDSHIPMEN.

heard that three new boys had come. In the afternoon they all ap-
peared in the play-ground. They were strangers to each other as well
as to us, but their similarity of fate drew them together. One was a
slightly-made, dark, and somewhat delicate-looking boy; another was a
sturdy little fellow, with a round, ruddy countenance, and a jovial,
good-natured expression in it, yet he did not look as if he would stand
any nonsense; the third was rather smaller than the other two, a
pleasant-looking fellow, and though his eyes were red with crying, he
seemed to be cutting some joke which made his companions laugh.
He had come all the way from Ireland, we heard, and his elder brother
had that morning left him and gone back home, and that made him un-
happy just then. He at once got the name of Paddy in the school.
He did not mind it. His real name was Terence Adair, so sometimes
he was called Paddy Adair.

“ I say, you fellow, what’s your name?” asked a biggish boy of the
stoutest of the three new comers.

“ Jack Rogers,” was the answer, given in a quiet tone.

“ I don’t believe it,” replied the big boy, who was known as Bully
Pigeon ; “ it’s such a rum name.”

“I’ll make you believe it, and remember it too,” exclaimed the
new comer, eyeing the other from head to fOOt, and walking firmly up
to him, with his lips closed, while he moved his head slowly from side
to side. “ I tell you, my name is Jack Rogers—Now l”

The bully did not say a word. He looked as if he would have
liked to have hit, but Paddy Adair had followed his new friend,
and was evidently about to join in the fray if it was once begun;
so the big boy thought better of it. He would gain no credit for
attacking a little fellow the first day of his coming. There were
many witnesses of the scene, and Jack was unanimously pronounced
to be a plucky little chap. Pigeon, defeated in one direction, turned
his attention to the first-named boy, who had scarcely moved since
he entered the play-ground, but kept looking round with his large
black eyes on the scene before him, which was evidently strange to
his sight. . , '

“What are you called, I should like to know?” he asked in a
rude tone.

 

  

THE THREE MIDSHIPMEN.

“Alick Murray,” was the answer, in a quiet, gentlemanly voice.
“Then you come from Scotland, I suppose,” said the bully.
“Yes, I do,” replied the former.

“ Oh! I wonder your mamma would let you go away from her,”
observed the big boy, with a sneer.

“My mamma is just dead,” answered Murray, in a mild tone, a
tear springing to his eye.

“Shame! shame!” shouted the voices of several boys who had,
come up; among them that of Jack Rogers was the loudest.

“I didn’t mean to say anything to hurt him,” said the bully,
sneaking away. “I’ll pay you off for this some day,” he muttered as
he passed Jack.

Jack looked after him and laughed.

“He’ll have two to fight if he tries it, mind that,” said Adair to»
his new friend. '

Jack thanked him, but said that he should soon be able to tackle
him, if he could not just now. He would try at all events.

“That’s it,” cried Terence, enthusiastically. “That’s just what I
like. If you are knocked down you can but get up again and try once-
more.”

“ So my papa says,” observed Jack. “ He’s a first-rate father, let me
tell you. He never would let any of us give in except to himself. He
used to throw us into a pond, and tell us to swim, and unless we had
actually been drowning, nothing would have made him help us ; so we
all very soon learned, and now there isn’t a chap of my size I wouldn’t
swim against. We live down in N orthamptonshire. My papa has a
place there. We are all very jolly. There are a number of us, sisters
and brothers. You must come down and see them some holidays.
You’ll like them, I know. There’s no nonsense about them‘.”

Terence said he should like it very much, if he did not go back to
Ireland. He had three brothers and a sister, but they were all older
than himself. His papa was the Honourable Mr. Adair, and he had
an uncle, Lord Derrynane. He did not know whether they were rich
or not. They lived in a big house, and had a number of servants, and
people were constantly coming and going; so he supposed they were,
The truth was, as I heard afterwards, they were living a great deal too

 

 a THE THREE MIDSHIPMEN.

fast, and Terence had nothing left as his share of his father’s property,
except, as he said, his debts. That, however, was no fault of his.

“ I say,” observed Jack, “ don’t let us leave that poor fellow alone
any longer. He seems very low-spirited about his mother. It’s
natural, you know; though I don’t like to see a fellow blubbering just
because he has hurt himself, or lost a peg-top, or anything of that
sort.” ~

So they went up to Alick Murray, and began talking to him, and
Terence said something funny and made him laugh.

“ I wonder what games they have here ?” asked Jack.

“Coach and horses,” said a biggish fellow, who had just entered
the playground with some long strips of leather over his arm and a
whip in his hand. “ N ow, if you three fellows will just be harnessed,
you’ll make a very good unicorn.”

They all looked at each other, and as the big boy spoke in a good-
natured tone, they agreed to do as he wished. Jack and Alick were
harnessed together ; Terence insisted on going as unicorn.

“I say, though,” cried Jack, looking back ; “what are you called?
I always like to know the name of the driver.”

“Ben Trotter when I’m not called Master Benjamin Trotter,” was
the answer.

“Not a bad name for a coachman,” observed Jack, beginning to
prance and kick about. He got a cut with the whip in return for his
remark. Terence reared and neighed, and kicked about furiously all the
time, like a high-mettled steed who wanted to be off; and at last,
Trotter having got the ribbons adjusted to his satisfaction, away they
all went round the play-ground at a great rate, looking with great
disdain on those boys who had only got string for harness. Thus were
the three new comers first yoked in fellowship. They were very much
together ever afterwards, though they also had their own especial
friends. Murray and Rogers 'were the most constant to each other.
Murray was a studious gentle boy. He had more talent than Jack;
’ that is to say, he did his lessons a great deal better, and never got into
any scrapes. Jack never picked a quarrel, but he now and then got
into one, and was apt in his lessons to give a false quantity, and some-
times a translation of his Caesar, which put him down to the bottom of

 

 THE THREE MIDSHIPMEN. 5

the class. Murray was always ready and able to help him, but Jack
was not a fellow who would consent to trust to the help of another.
When he really tried, he could always do his work, and very creditably
too. Adair, unlike his friends, was nearly always getting into trouble.
He would not think enough about consequences. Once he and others
had been letting ofi' fireworks of their own manufacture in a remote
corner of the play-ground. Notice was given that an usher was coming.
They threw away their combustibles and fled. Terence, however, had
a piece of lighted touch-paper, which, in his hurry, he shoved into his
pocket. It was already full of a similar preparation. He was caught
and hauled away into the school-room to receive condign punishment.
He tried to look very innocent, and requested to know why he was
dragged along so unceremoniously. Paddy, under no circumstances,
ever lost his politeness. Unhappily for him just as he reached the door
the proofs of his guilt became apparent. Streams of smoke and sparks
burst out of his pockets, and the master had to pull out the burning
paper to prevent him from being seriously injured. As to his lessons
he very frequently was at the top of his class, but he never could
manage to keep there many days together. For some neglect or other

he soon again lost his place. Still he was a general favourite. Even
the masters could not help liking him. The three new boys were put
into one room. They slept there for several halves. On one occasion
Terence had kept away a good deal from Jack and Murray, and asso-
ciated more ~than was his custom with several of the less nice boys.
Among them was Pigeon, the bullying fellow. I happened to be awake
one night, when by the pale moonlight which streamed in at the wiur
dows, I saw Paddy Adair sit up in his bed and look about him. Pigeon
and another biggish fellow did the same. They signed to each other,
and slipping on their clothes, crept with their shoes in their hands out
of the room. I could not go to sleep, wondering what had become
of them. Jack Rogers slept near me. He likewise had seen what had
occurred. They were absent about half an hour. They returned as
noiselessly as they had gone out, and crept into bed again, of couise
thinking that no one had observed them. N o sooner was the door
closed than there was a strong smell of apples in the room, and pre-
sently “crunch! crunch! crunch!” was heard.

 

 THE mm MIDSHIPMEN.

“ Those fellows have been stealing old Rowley’s apples, now,”
thought Jack ; “ and that donkey Paddy Adair has, I’ll bet, been
heading the party.”

He felt as if he were a spy by not letting them know that he was
awake, so he sat up and said, “ Hillo! you fellows, what have you been
about 2’”

“ Is that you awake, Jack ‘3” answered Adair. “ Never mind, we’ve
had great fun. Have an apple, will you ‘9”

“ N 0, thank you,” said Jack, “ I’d rather not ;” laying considerable
emphasis on the last words.

“He doesn’t deserve one as he hadn’t the pluck to go and get
them,” said a voice from under the bed-clothes.

“ Who says that?” exclaimed Jack, sitting up in bed.

“Why, I say you would have been afraid to go and do what we have
done,” answered Bully Pigeon, summoning up more courage than was
his wont.

“Afraid!” exclaimed Jack, springing out of bed and slipping on
his trousers. “ Afraid of what? Afraid of stealing? Afraid of
telling a lie I am ; but I’m not afraid of you, you thief} I can tell you.”

Even Bully Pigeon could not stand this. Unless he would be
jeered at and called sneak ever afterwards by all the little boys in the
school, he felt that he must retaliate. He jumped up and sprang at
Jack, aiming a blow, Which, if the latter ‘had not slipped aside, would
have knocked him over. Jack, notwithstanding this, sprang back, and
put himself on his defence, not only warding ofi‘ the next blow Pigeon
struck, but planting another between his eyes, which brought fire into
them with a vengeance.

This enraged the bully, who came thundering down on Jack with
all his might, andwould have well nigh crushed him, but Pigeon found
a new assailant in the field whom he did not expect,-———one of his own
party. It was Paddy Adair.

“I can’t stand that, and I won’t,” he exclaimed, aiming a blow at
Pigeon’s head which sent him backwards; while Alick Murray, who
had likewise jumped up, appeared on the other side of him.

“ We are thieves, I tell you; we’ve been stealing old Rowley’s
apples, and Jack Rogers is right,” cried Terence.

 

 THE THREE MIDSHIPMEN. 7

“ A very true remark, boys,” said a deep voice which we all recog-
nized full well. The door opened, and old Rowley himself, habited in
his dressing-gown, with a candle in one hand and a birch in the other,
appeared at the entrance, followed by good kind Mrs. Jones, the house-
keeper. Every one scuttled away to their beds as fast as they could go,
except Alick Murray and Terence. Murray was the first Rowley laid
hands on, and, putting down his candle on the mantelpiece, he was
about to make use of his birch. Murray disdained to utter a word
which might inculpate others, and I know he would have received a
flogging without complaint, but Terence cried out, “ N 0, no, it wasn’t
him—I was one of them—flog me if you like.”

“Well, get into bed,” answered Rowley, in a voice which did not
sound as if he was ver