a blister; and owing to the absolute insensibility of the skipper and
his consequent powerlessness to assist in any way it was a somewhat
lengthy job; but they completed it at last, and then went to breakfast.

As it was not expected that any visible result of their treatment would
become apparent for the first hour or so, they did not visit the skipper
at the conclusion of the meal; but Purchas went to his cabin and turned
in, leaving Leslie in charge of the deck--the latter undertaking to call
the mate at seven bells, in time to take the meridian altitude of the
sun at noon, for the determination of the brig's latitude.

During the time that Leslie had been occupied below he had been
conscious of the fact that the breeze was freshening, as was evidenced
by the increasing heel of the brig and her growing liveliness of
movement; and when at length he went on deck and relieved the carpenter,
who had been temporarily in charge, he found quite a smart breeze
blowing from about due east, and the brig, with her weather-braces
slightly checked, and everything set, to her royals, staggering along,
with a great deal of fuss and much churning up of water about her bluff
bows, at a speed of some six knots. He glanced aloft and saw that her
topgallant-masts were whipping and buckling like fishing-rods.

"Hillo, Chips," he said good-humouredly, "so you are one of the
carrying-on school, I see. But what about those sticks aloft; aren't
you trying them rather severely? Of course you ought to know their
condition better than I do; but it looks to me as though you are giving
them rather more than they ought to be asked to do."

"Oh, they're goodish sticks, sir, are them topgallant-masts, and the
skipper's a rare hand for carryin' on; she ain't no clipper, as I dare
say you've noticed, sir; but the cap'n makes a p'int of gettin' every
inch out of her as she's capable of doin' of. All the same, sir, I
believe it's about time them royals was took in."

"So do I," agreed Leslie, as a somewhat fresher puff took the brig and
caused the spars to buckle still more ominously. "Royal halliards, let
go! Clew up and furl!" he shouted to the men who were lounging on the
forecastle over some tasks that they were performing in the leisurely
manner usual with merchant seamen.

The carpenter sprang to the main royal halliards and let them run; a man
forward dropped the serving-mallet that he was using, and did the same
with the fore royal ha