ry, or my
son wishes to see the towns, I should prefer going steadily on eastward.
For my part I want to get away from civilisation, and see Nature
unspoiled or unimproved, whichever it is."

"And that depends upon individual taste, eh, Jack?" said the doctor.

"I suppose so," said the lad.

"Bah! he's going back again," said the doctor to himself.

"Would you like to stop at Gibraltar and see the Rock and its
fortifications, Jack?"

"No, father, thank you," said the lad.

Sir John looked disappointed, but he said quietly--

"Then we'll go right on, captain, according to your plans. Let's see,
what were they?"

"If you wish to get right away to the East, then I propose that we just
touch at Gib, and stay long enough to fill up our water-tanks and take
in fresh provisions and vegetables, run straight on to Naples, do the
same there again, and then make for the Canal, unless you would care to
see Vesuvius. Naples and its surroundings are very fine."

"Yes, very," said Sir John.

"Oh yes," growled the doctor; "but the place swarms with visitors. I
want to get where we can land on some beautiful coast with our guns and
collecting tackle, where we shouldn't see a soul, unless it's a naked
savage."

"So do I," said Sir John. "What do you say, Jack?"

"Wherever you like, father," said the boy resignedly; and he rose and
walked right forward to where a couple of the men were on the look-out,
and Mr Bartlett was walking slowly up and down with a glass under his
arm.

Sir John sighed, and there was perfect silence for a few minutes.

"It is very disappointing," he said at last.

"What is?" cried the doctor sharply. "Rome wasn't built in a day."

"But he seems to take it all as a duty, and as if he was compelled to
obey me."

"And a good thing too," cried the doctor sharply. "What's better than
for a son to feel that he is bound to obey his father? If I had been a
married man instead of a surly bachelor, and I had had a son, I should
have expected him to obey me and do what I thought was for his good; eh,
captain?"

"Yes, sir, of course; and on your part, tried to be reasonable."

"Of course. Well, we--I mean Sir John--is reasonable. No, he isn't
now. He wants Rome built in a day with the fresh paint on as well, and
a grand procession of big drums and trumpets and soldiers with flags to
march through the principal streets."

"Come, not quite so bad as that, Instow. Don't be cross."

"Then don