ne of Nature's rough gentlemen."

"Would you mind my going to bed, father?" said Jack hastily. "I am very
tired."

"Go then, and have a good long night's rest."

"Yes," said the doctor; "and I say, Jack, leave your window open.
Sea-air is a splendid tonic."

"Good-night," said Jack shortly; and, shaking hands quickly, he hurried
out of the room, and went to bed, after carefully seeing that the window
was closely shut.

"That's a pile of money for a yacht, Meadows," said the doctor, as they
sat together to watch the moon rise over the hills in front of the hotel
away across the estuary.

"Yes, it is a heavy sum, Instow, but if it answers the captain's
description the yacht must be worth the money."

"Yes, if it does. Seems to be an honest sort of fellow, and he's right
about having a good ship and crew for such a voyage."

"Of course."

"But it's a deal to pay down."

"I'd pay ten times as much down to-morrow to see my poor boy hale and
hearty--a frank, natural lad with an English boy's firmness and
strength."

"Instead of a weak, irritable, sickly, overstrained, nervous fellow, who
would give me the horrors if I did not know that I can put him right."

"You do feel this, Instow?"

"Of course I do. Why look at him to-night. He is tired, and speaks
sharply, and almost spitefully; but already he is showing twice as much
spirit, though it is in the way of opposition."

"Yes; the feeling that he is to exert himself is beginning to show
itself," said Sir John musingly. "He'll come round if he is given
something to call out his energy."

They sat very silent till bed-time, and on saying good-night, Sir John
turned quickly upon his old friend.

"This is a chance, Instow," he said, "and if the vessel comes up to his
description I shall close at once."

CHAPTER SIX.

JACK BEGINS TO WAKE.

The waters of the Dart were dancing merrily in the bright sunshine next
morning, when, nervous and so anxious that his breakfast had been
spoiled, Jack walked between his father and the doctor toward the pier,
wondering what sort of a vessel the _Silver Star_, which had been
finished too finely for the captain's taste, would prove.

"There she is," said the doctor suddenly. "That must be the yacht, for
there is nothing else in sight at all answering her description."

"Yes, that is she, the one we saw as we came in yesterday. Why she must
be quite half-a-mile away."

"Are we to go off to the yacht in a sm