"Certainly," Horace said. "My father has no idea of making money by the thing, and I can certainly promise that he will agree to the usual scale whatever it is."
"That is right. I thought that it would be so, and, indeed, although officers might go without, you would hardly get men to risk their lives unless there was a chance of prize-money."
"It would not be fair to ask them to do so," Horace said. "Of course that would be understood. All these sort of arrangements are in your hands. My father particularly said so; he really knows nothing about these matters. You must make all these arrangements just as if you were the owner, and please arrange what you consider liberal terms to everyone. My father has made up his mind to spend a certain sum of money which he has long laid by for the purpose, and I am sure we are more likely to succeed in helping the Greeks if everyone on board is quite contented and happy. Oh, there is the Inn; I won't go in with you. You had much better talk it over with him by yourself."
Ten minutes later Martyn came out with a short square-built young fellow of about his own age, with a good-humoured merry face, which was at present beaming with satisfaction.
"That is all settled," Martyn said. "Mr. Beveridge, let me introduce to you Mr. James Miller, first lieutenant of your father's schooner, the _Creole_."
"It is a perfect godsend," Miller said, as he shook hands with Horace. "I began to despair of getting a ship here, and I am precious glad now I didn't, for I should have been mad if I had met Martyn, and found I had missed this chance. It will be glorious fun, and it looked as if one were never going to have a chance of that sort of thing again."
"And he knows of a young fellow who will suit us for our second," Martyn said, "Jack Tarleton. He was with us in the _Minerva_. I remember him only as a jolly little mid. I had just passed then, and he was the youngest; but he lives close to Miller, and he says he has grown up into a fine young fellow. He is about nineteen now. He has not passed yet, for he was laid on the shelf four months before his time was up, and not having passed, of course he is even worse off than either of us. Not that it matters so much to him, for his father has an estate; but as Jack is the second son, and loves his profession, he is so anxious to be afloat again that he told Miller the other day he would ship before the mast if he could not get a berth before long. Miller will write to him this afternoon, and he will be here to-morrow night or next morning. I have asked him to come round and have lunch with us at the Falcon. Mr. Beveridge and his father sail with us, Miller, in the double capacity, as I understand, of owners and fighting men."