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It was the maherry, however, that was seen coming back; for as it came near, the three middies recognised the creature whose intrusion upon their slumbers of the preceding night had been the means, perhaps, of saving their lives.
Their guide had already drawn a key from a pocket, and had unsnapped the heavy padlock. "Step right in, young gentlemen, h'and h'I'll follow h'and show h'it to you." Unsuspecting, the three middies stepped inside the darkened shed. Suddenly the door banged, and a padlock clicked outside. "Here, stop that, you rascally joker!" roared Dalzell, wheeling about. "What does this mean?"
There was no coddling in the navy in those days, and those who survived its rigorous life were probably the fittest. I have heard my father say that at this period the middies' soup was served in the tin boxes which held their cocked hats, and that one of their amusements was provided by races round the mess table of the weevils knocked out of the biscuit which was a part of their daily fare.
In this part of the category now come the "reefers," otherwise "middies" or midshipmen. These boys are sent to sea, for the purpose of making commodores; and in order to become commodores, many of them deem it indispensable forthwith to commence chewing tobacco, drinking brandy and water, and swearing at the sailors.
In their journey over the sea of sand, our four adventurers formed part of a company of sixteen men and women, along with six or seven children. All were the property of one man, the huge and dusky sheik who had won Sailor Bill and the three middies at "desert draughts."
We, that is the gunroom officers, all except the second Lieutenant, who had the watch, and the master, now got into our own gig also, rowed by ourselves, and away we all went in a covey; the purser and doctor, and three of the middies forward, Thomas Cringle, gentleman, pulling the stroke oar, with old Moses Yerk as coxswain; and as the Dragonflies were all red, so we were all seagreen, boat, oars, trowsers, shirts, and nightcaps.
"Curse him and his fine airs!" Hilary heard the skipper say, hoarsely. "I shall have the young villain bringing the cutter's crew down upon us. I wish his neck was broken." "Put him in the top room, then," said Allstone; "he'll break his neck trying to get away." "Not he," said the skipper; "those middies can climb like cats. He's safe enough now, I suppose."
Plymouth is an old-fashioned English seaport that has been rather famous ever since the thirteenth century. Many parts of the town, including whole streets, look as though the houses had been built since that time. This is especially true of many of the streets near the water front. For two hours the three middies roamed through the streets, often meeting fellow classmen.
"Oh, Vi, you give me the creeps," said Laura with a little shiver. "Billie, do you think half a dozen middies' would do? We won't want to dress up very much." "No, the ghosts probably wouldn't know the difference," said Teddy wickedly. "By the way, boys," he went on, imitating Laura's tone to perfection, "that's one important thing we haven't decided, yet. What are we going to wear?"
"Now, gentlemen, you've a chance to apply what you may know about first aid to the drowning," suggested Ensign Trahern, tersely. Under that vigorous treatment Walter Carruthers, as the young man afterwards declared himself to be, was quickly brought around. The middies had much harder work in reviving the girl. Her brother sat by watching the work.
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