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VI Set it to my account that I saved somebody's darling from being butchered to make a Gun-room holiday. But the Midshipmen have an asylum of their own in the School-room, where, I was assured, they were worked within an inch of their lives. The remnant seemed unusually healthy, for when we went out to visit a big smoking-concert on the Flagship I caught glimpses of limber youths racketting in dumb show round their hammocks.

Not being privileged to have speech with them, I asked Twenty-One what the 'protective diplomacy' of Midshipmen might be. He gave me to understand that stirring a hornets' nest with the bare toe was tame and pale beside too thoroughly irritating the junior members of the Gun-room. Had himself been concerned in such revolutions.

'We got licked, of course,' he concluded cheerfully, 'but the seniors let us alone after that. Wasn't it a beautifully disciplined Mess, though? I wish you could see 'em at sea in weather. There's a Midshipman (he used the other term) told off to every scuttle to open it between waves. If he lets in any water of course he catches it. I had about five years of that sort of thing. Well, now we'll go over to the concert.'

Said a shrill voice casually: 'Are you goin' to patronise our Uncle Henry's show to-night?'

'I think I ought to. I don't want him to think I'm cutting him. Besides, he'd like to meet one zealous an' efficient officer. It 'ud cheer him up.'