out, doctor? It's the
last you'll put your teeth through for six weeks to come, _I_ know; so
make the most of it.--I wish I were only through the Pentland Firth, and
scudding under full sail for the ice--I do." And the captain looked
fiercely at the compass which hung over his head, as if he had said
something worthy of being recorded in history, and began to eat.

After a pause of five minutes or so--during which time the knives and
forks had been clattering pretty vigorously, and the trout had become a
miserable skeleton--the captain resumed his discourse.

"I tell you what it is now, gentlemen; if there's not going to be a
change of some sort or other, I'm no sailor."

"It does look very threatening," said Mr Carles, peering through the
stern window. "I don't much like the look of these clouds behind us.
Look there, doctor!" he continued, pointing towards the window. "What
do you think of that?"

"Nothing!" replied the doctor, through a mouthful of duff and potatoes.
"A squall, I fancy; wish it'd only wait till after dinner."

"It never does," said the captain. "I've been to sea these fifteen
years, and I always find that squalls come on at breakfast or dinner,
like an unwelcome visitor. They've got a thorough contempt for tea--
seem to know it's but swipes, and not worth pitching into one's lap; but
dinner's sure to bring 'em on, if they're in the neighbourhood, and make
'em bu'st their cheeks at you. Remember once, when I was cruising in
the Mediterranean, in Lord P---'s yacht, we'd been stewing on deck under
an awning the whole forenoon, scarce able to breathe, when the bell rang
for dinner. Well, down we all tumbled--about ten ladies and fifteen
gentlemen, or thereabouts--and seated ourselves round the table. There
was no end of grub of every kind. Lord P--- was eccentric in that way,
and was always at some new dodge or other in the way of cookery. At
this time he had invented a new dumpling. Its jacket was much the same
as usual--inch-thick duff; but its contents were beyond anything I ever
saw, except the maw of an old shark. Well, just as the steward took off
the cover, _hiss-iss_ went the wind overhead, and one of those horrible
squalls that come rattling down without a moment's warning in those
parts, struck the ship, and gave her a heel over that sent the
salt-cellars chasing the tumblers like all-possessed; and the great
dumpling gave a heavy lurch to leeward, rolled fairly over on its
be