rintendence of Tom Platt, our mate,
in manufacturing mats, sinnet, rope yarns, or in knotting and splicing;
the dark-skinned natives, of whom we had several on board similarly
engaged, were mostly on the other side of the deck, apparently
indifferent as to whether they were in the shade or sunshine. Even my
brother, the commander of the _Dainty_, was too impatient to think much
about the broiling we were undergoing, as we walked from the taffrail to
a short distance before the mainmast, where we invariably turned to face
back again; while during the intervals in our conversation, from an old
habit, he whistled vehemently for a breeze, not that in consequence he
really expected it to come.

As we walked with our faces forward I was amused by watching old Tom,
who, marline-spike in hand, was stropping a block, now inspecting the
work of one man, now that of another, and then giving his attention to a
lad, seated on the spars stowed under the long-boat, engaged in splicing
an eye to the end of a rope.

"Is this all right, Mr Platt?" asked the lad, handing the rope to the
mate, who, squirting a mouthful of tobacco juice over the bulwarks,
turned it round and round to examine it critically.

"Ay, t'will do, Dick--wants scraping a bit; let's see how you'll serve
it," answered old Tom, giving back the rope.

After taking a few more turns my brother stopped. "Do you think, Platt,
that, we shall be long delayed by this provoking calm?" he asked.

"Can't say, Cap'en. Known such to last for the better part of a week in
these latitudes," answered the mate, coming a few steps aft. "Maybe,
though, we'll get a breeze to-morrow, maybe not."

"We are not likely to get it yet, at all events, from the look of the
sky," said Harry. "We'll rig the awning and persuade Mary and Fanny to
come on deck. They'll be better here than in the close cabin." Just as
he spoke Nat Amiel, his young brother-in-law, appeared at the
companion-hatch.

"Wanted to see if you were asleep, as we have been below all the
morning," he exclaimed. "Well, I declare, it is hot, though it's baking
enough in the cabin to satisfy a salamander."

"We'll soon have some more shade, and then ask the ladies to come on
deck and enjoy it," I answered. "In the meantime hand up a couple of
the folding-chairs, and I'll place some gratings for them to put their
feet on."

Nat dived into the cabin, and the mate calling the men aft we quickly
had an awning rigged to