The next morning the sea moderated greatly and, the wind having
gone round to the southeast, the Paramatta made the most of it, to
get west as far as possible before turning her head to the south.

"That's a slice of luck," Bill Hardy said to Reuben; "there's
nothing like getting well off, at the start. With luck, now, we
oughtn't to see the land till we make the Cape."

"But I would rather see the land, Bill. When one is going half
round the globe, it is pleasant to touch at ports on the way, and
to get a glimpse at foreign peoples and ways."

"Ay, I like a spree on shore," Bill agreed; "but after all, it
don't last long; and when you are near land, there's always the
chance that the wind may shift round, and you may find yourself
dead on a lee shore. The skipper gets anxious and the mates out of
temper, and if it does come on to blow hard, from the wrong
quarter, there's never no saying what will come of it.

"No, my lad, there's nothing like a good open sea, with no land
within five hundred miles of you, at the least. The coast of Africa
ain't a pleasant neighbour. What with the low shores, which you
don't see till you are pretty nigh close to them; what with the
currents and the changeable winds, and the precious bad lookout
there is, if you do get cast ashore, I tell you the wider berth you
gives it, the better."

The next morning was so fine and bright that all the passengers
were on deck, and after breakfast the word was passed forward that
the carpenter was wanted. Reuben found that he was wanted to nail
some strips of wood on the floor of some of the cabins, to prevent
the boxes from shooting out from under the berths when the vessel
rolled. As he was at work at one of these, a young lady came to the
door of the cabin, and uttered a little exclamation of surprise at
seeing Reuben kneeling on the floor. Then, seeing what he was
doing, she said:

"Oh, you are the carpenter, I suppose?"

"Yes, miss."

"I wish you would screw on some pegs I brought with me, to hang
things upon. Everything does get thrown about so, when the ship's
rolling. They are in that trunk, if you will not mind pulling it
out."

Reuben pulled out the trunk, which the girl opened and, after some
search, produced half-a-dozen iron clothes pegs. She showed him
where she wished them screwed on, and stood looking on while he
carried out her instructions.

"Are you the ship's carpenter?"

"Yes, miss."

"You seem very young for