serve her majesty can come on deck."

Jack at once stepped forward.

"I am ready to serve, sir," he said.

"That's right," the officer replied heartily; "you are a lad of
spirit, I can see, and will make a good soldier. You look young
yet, but that's all in your favor; you will be a sergeant at an age
when others are learning their recruit drill. Now, who's the next?"

Some half dozen of the others followed Jack's example, but the rest
were still too sore and angry to be willing to do anything voluntarily.

Jack leaped lightly up on deck and looked round; the cutter was
already under weigh, and with a gentle breeze was running along
the smooth surface of Southampton waters; the ivy covered ruins of
Netley Abbey were abreast of them, and behind was the shipping of
the port.

"Well, young un," an old sergeant said, "so I suppose you have
agreed to serve the queen?"

"As her majesty was so pressing," Jack replied with a smile, "you
see I had no choice in the matter."

"That's right," the sergeant said kindly; "always keep up your
spirits, lad. Care killed a cat, you know. You are one of the right
sort, I can see, but you are young to be pressed. How old are you?"