g where dangers lie pretty quickly, and we old sea-going folk
don't like to be taken unawares."

"What would it do then if a touch of hurricane did come?"

"Perhaps take our masts short off by the board before we could let
everything go. Not nice to have half our canvas stripped away. You
haven't been at sea so long as I have, squire."

"No, of course not," said Jack impatiently. "But I say, why don't you
get up steam?"

"Because we want to keep our coal for an emergency, or when we want to
get on."

"Well, we want to get on now."

The captain smiled.

"Go and ask your father what he thinks."

"Yes; come with me."

The captain humoured him, and they walked aft to where the awning cast
its grateful shade.

"Here, father, hadn't we better have the steam up and get on?"

"I hardly think so, Jack. What do you say, captain; will the calm
last?"

"Only till sundown, sir; then I think we shall have a nice soft breeze
again."

"Then I say no, Jack," said Sir John. "We're quite hot enough, and it
does not seem fair to the men to send them down making roaring fires
when there is so little need."

"You'd be getting brown on both sides at once, Jack," said the doctor.
"Look yonder; fish rising. What do you say to having a try?"

"Yes," said Jack eagerly, "let's get up the lines. Hi, Mr Bartlett,
come on."

The mate had taken the captain's place, and was superintending the
lowering of the studding-sails.

"Yes, all right, Bartlett," cried the captain, "I'll see to that;" and
giving the lad a friendly nod, he went forward, the mate coming aft.

"Look! Fish!" cried Jack. "What had we better do, Mr Bartlett?"

"Yes; send out some light lines floating in the current," said the
doctor.

"No, I don't think we should do much that way. More likely to get
something from close in under the bows with the grains," replied the
mate thoughtfully. "But what I should do would be to lower a boat and
gently scull her toward one of those shoals; we might do something
then."

"That's the way," cried Jack. "Here, hi! Lenny, we want you."

The big black-bearded fellow looked inquiringly at the captain, who
nodded, and the man came aft, while Jack and the doctor went below, the
former in a hurry, the latter with a good deal of deliberation. The
mate and the man then proceeded to lower the light gig and cast off the
falls, leaving her hanging by the painter.

"Strong tackle and bright artificial baits, Jack, my