the rail and making all sorts of dismal sounds and groans.

"The next time I go to Europe I'll stay at home!" moaned this
individual. "Oh, my! oh, my! How bad I feel! Next that comes will be the
shaps of my twos--I mean the taps of my shoes!"

"It's Rattles!" laughed Frank, softly; "and he is sicker than ever. He's
tried to crawl out to get some air."

At this moment a man opened the door near Rattleton, and asked:

"Is the--ah--er--moon up yet?"

"I don't know," moaned Harry. "But it is if I swallowed it. Everything
else is up, anyhow."

"If the--ah--moon comes up red tonight, it will mean----"

"I don't give a rap what it means!" snorted Rattleton. "Don't talk to
me! Let me die without torturing me! I'm sick enough without having you
make me worse!"

Mr. Slush, for he was the anxious inquirer about the moon, dodged back
into the cabin, closing the door hesitatingly.

Then Rattleton, unaware of the proximity of his amused friends, hung
over the rail and groaned again.

Frank walked up and spoke:

"I see, my dear boy, that you are heeding the Bible admonition."

"Hey?" groaned Harry. "What is it?"

"'Cast thy bread upon the waters!' You are doing it all right, all
right."

"Now, don't carry this thing too far!" Rattleton tried to say in a
fierce manner, but his fierceness was laughable. "The worm will turn
when trodden upon."

"But the banana peel knows a trick worth two of that. Did you ever hear
that touching little poem about the man who stepped on a banana peel?
Never did? Why, that is too bad! You don't know what you've missed.
Listen, and you shall hear it."

Then Frank solemnly declaimed:

"He walked along one summer day,
As stately as a prince;
He stepped upon a banana peel,
And he hasn't 'banana' where since."

Rattleton gave a still more dismal groan.

"You are conspiring with the elements to hasten my death!" he said. "I
can't stand many more like that."

"You should wear a sheet of writing paper across your breast, same as I
do," said Diamond. "Then you won't be sick."

"I've got two sheets of writing paper across mine," declared Harry.

"You should drink a bottle of ginger ale to settle your stomach," put in
Frank.

"Just drank three bottles of ginger ale, and they've turned my stomach
wrong side out," gurgled the sick youth.

"You should allow yourself perfect relaxation, and not try to fight
against it," from Browning.

"Oh, I haven't allowed myse