She is not a dockyard boat, but, as you know, is one the captain had specially built for himself, and for racing if we were at any station where there were other warships." When four o'clock came, and the first lieutenant, with his cloak over his arm, came out and took his place in the boat, there was a general look of surprise among the sailors leaning on the rail to see her put off, for it was a very unusual thing for the first officer to take the command when only a single boat's crew were going out on any expedition.
"Row easy, men," Mr.Ferguson said, as he sat down on one side of the coxswain, while Dick took his place on the other.

"Drop quietly down the river.

There is my fishing rod by your side, Mr.Balderson; you may as well begin to put it together at once, so that the natives on shore may see that we are going on a fishing expedition." They rowed some ten miles down at a leisurely pace, and then the boat's grapnel was dropped at a bend of the stream, where the water was unusually deep, and several baskets of fish had been taken at various times.

A spare rod was brought out from under the seat, and Mr.Ferguson and Dick began to fish, one on each side of the boat, while the men lay on their oars, and a look of satisfaction came over their faces as the lieutenant told them that they could smoke.

Hitherto, Dick had been in ignorance as to the object of the expedition.