come out and face either our guns
or the fury of the wind. I cannot say, however, that just at that time
anything brought much consolation to me. I had only one very strong
wish; it was, to be thrown overboard--not that I had the slightest
intention of jumping into the sea of my own accord. I was too far gone
for any such energetic proceeding; and had anybody else taken me up for
the purpose, I have no doubt that I should have struggled and kicked
myself into perfect health again. I had coiled myself away on the top
of my chest, on the lower-deck, in a dark recess, where I thought no one
would see me; and there I hoped to remain all alone in my misery, till
the ship went down, or blew up, or something else dreadful happened, for
as to my ever getting well again that I felt was physically impossible.
I had lain thus for some time, believing myself to be the most miserable
small piece of humanity in existence, when, the frigate appearing to be
pitching and rolling more furiously than ever, I heard a gruff voice
exclaim--

"What, youngster! are you going to let the ship go down, and you not try
to save her? On deck with you; be smart, now."

I felt a colt applied to a part of my body which, in the position I lay,
offered a tempting mark. The voice was that of old Perigal; his sharp
eyes had found me out. I sprang up and rushed on deck with an
involuntary yell of pain, to find the ship under her three topsails
closely reefed, forcing her way bravely through the seas, and not at all
inclined to go down, or to come to any other damage.

"You're all the better for that trip, youngster," said the old mate,
with a grin, as I returned to the berth. "Now, just take a lump of this
fat bacon, and a bit of biscuit,--and here, as a treat, you shall have a
nip of old Jamaica, and you'll be all to rights in ten minutes, and
never be sea-sick again as long as you live."

I remonstrated, but out came the colt, and with an argument so cogent I
was fain to adopt my messmate's remedy. It was a terrible trial. At
first, I could scarcely bring my teeth to meet; but Perigal flourished
his weapon, and my jaws went faster and faster, till I was not sorry to
finish the whole of the biscuit and bacon placed before me, and could
have taken twice as much if I could have got it. Perigal was right.
From that day to this I have never suffered from sea-sickness.

Toby Bluff had undergone a similar ordeal, and when I was well enough to
go