"Not even if they're well-behaved ?" "No, my boy, they draw the line at puppies! I mean those jackanapes of midshipmen and sub-lieutenants, as they call mates now, with their dandified airs.

In my time, the reefers weren't half so conceited and didn't try to turn themselves into land swabs as they do now-a-days," said the Captain grimly, he being, like most sailors of the old school, a thorough believer in the times gone by.

"But, go back now, and take that rascal of a dog in.

Dick and I will wait for you at the corner." Rover did not like this arrangement at all, but he had to submit to the force of circumstances; so, Bob disposing of him within doors and closing the outside gate as well for additional precaution, all presently made a fresh start for their destination.
While crossing Southsea Common, the boys were delighted with the sight of the soldiers of the garrison mustered for brigade drill, the troops marching and wheeling and countermarching to the music of the bands, which played such inspiriting airs that even the old Captain could not help keeping step, his trusty malacca coming down with a thump on the springy turf, in time with the rub-a-dub-dub of the drums.
Bob had seen a regiment or two before in London, at parades in front of the Horse Guards, or when reviewed on a small scale in Hyde Park; but, never previously, had he witnessed so many battalions marshalled together in all the pomp of war as now--the men formed up in double columns of companies, with the sunlight glinting on the bayonets of their sloped rifles and their legs looking like those of gigantic centipedes as they stepped forward in changing ground to the left, first the red stripe showing on one trouser-leg and then only the dark cloth of the other.
"How funny they look!" exclaimed Bob, lost in admiration as he took note of these little details, not a thing escaping him, the hoarse commands of the officers, the galloping to and fro of mounted _aides-de-camp_ and `orderlies,' the tooting bugle-calls, each in turn attracting his attention.

"All move as if they were one man!" "Aye, they march well, my boy," replied the Captain, taking advantage of the opportunity to point a moral lesson.