Jack's father died, leaving the boy as a legacy nothing but the little
African trading store; and Jack set about to make his own living there
and to put by enough so that within a few years he would be able to
return to the land of his birth.

And then fate took a hand in shaping his career.

A party from a passing schooner stopped for supplies at Jack's store,
and, in the lad's absence, departed without paying for the provisions.
Jack set forth to collect. He climbed aboard the schooner before it hove
anchor, and, payment being refused by the schooner's crew, a fight
ensued.

Jack was forced to take refuge in the hold, while the ship got under
way. He succeeded in making his way to the next compartment, where he
was surprised to find two other prisoners. These he released, and they
proved to be a British secret service agent and Frank Chadwick.

Frank was an American boy. He had been separated from his father, and
while seeking him in Naples had been shanghaied aboard the schooner, and
there he was, following a mutiny among the crew, as Jack found him. By
some resourcefulness and not a little fighting, the lads overcame the
crew and made their way back to Jack's home, taking the other prisoner
with them.

Here they joined an expedition in which the secret service agent was
implicated, and in this manner met Lord Hastings. The latter took an
interest in them at once, and, after they had proved their mettle, the
British nobleman took them aboard his own vessel as midshipmen.