"I'm ashamed of being so late when everybody else has been so long astir.

Isn't there something I can do, sir ?" "No, my boy, not at present," cried he, laughing at my eagerness to be useful, which arose from my seeing Jerrold nimbly mounting up the after- shrouds with Matthews and a couple of other hands to loosen the mizzen- topsail.

"You haven't got your sea-legs yet, nor learnt your way about the ship; and so you would be more a hindrance than a help on a yard up aloft." "But I may go up by and by ?" I asked, a little disappointed at not being allowed to climb with the others, they looked so jolly swinging about as if they enjoyed it; with Tom Jerrold nodding and grinning at me over the yard.

"Sha'n't I, sir ?" "Aye, by and by, when there's no fear of your tumbling overboard, youngster," he answered good-naturedly.

"You must be content with looking on for a while and picking up information.