Harry?"

"Perhaps you are going up the creek again, Dick. Who's going in
command?"

"I have not heard. Morrison says he has not been told off, so
I suppose it is Hopkins; in fact, if you are going up the creek,
it is sure to be him, as one of us who went up there before would
certainly be in command. It is rum they're taking the captain's
gig. He is very particular about it, and it is very seldom indeed
that even the first luff uses it."

"I suppose they think it possible that you may be chased, and there
is no doubt she is far away the fastest boat on board. She is not
a dockyard boat, but, as you know, is one the captain had specially
built for himself, and for racing if we were at any station where
there were other warships."

When four o'clock came, and the first lieutenant, with his cloak
over his arm, came out and took his place in the boat, there was
a general look of surprise among the sailors leaning on the rail
to see her put off, for it was a very unusual thing for the first
officer to take the command when only a single boat's crew were
going out on any expedition.

"Row easy, men," Mr. Ferguson said, as he sat down on one side of
the coxswain, while Dick took his place on the other. "Drop quietly
down the river. There is my fishing rod by your side, Mr. Balderson;
you may as well begin to put it together at once, so that the
natives on shore may see that we are going on a fishing expedition."