red to melt into a thin mist.

"What has become of her?" exclaimed Willy, feeling somewhat awe-struck.

"She has run into a bank of fog which we had not perceived," said
Shafto; "I will hail her;" and taking the speaking-trumpet, he shouted
out, "What ship is that?" No answer came. Again he shouted, "This is
Her Majesty's ship `Ranger.'" All was silent. "Surely I cannot have
been deceived," he remarked; "my hail would have been answered if it had
been heard." Willy declared that he heard shouts and laughter, but
Harry told him that was nonsense, and that undoubtedly the stranger was
much further off than he had supposed her to be.

Before the watch was out, Harry had to turn the hands up to shorten
sail; a strong breeze was blowing, increasing every instant in violence.
Before morning the "Ranger" was ploughing her way through the ocean
under close-reefed topsails, now rising to the summit of a sea, now
plunged into the trough below. It was Willy's first introduction to
anything like a gale of wind.

"Well, Mr Dicey, you have at last got a sight of what the sea can be,"
said Roger Bolland, the boatswain, with whom Willy was a favourite.

"I have got a feeling, too, of what it can do," answered Willy, who was
far from comfortable.

"Don't you go and give in, though, like the soldiers below," said the
boatswain; "there are half of them on their backs already, and the gay
young ensigns, who were boasting only the other day of what capital
sailors they were, are as bad as the men."

Though the whole battalion had been sick, Mrs Rumbelow was not going to
knock under. She was as lively and active as ever, going about to the
ladies' cabins to assist them into their berths, and secure various
articles which were left to tumble about at the mercy of the sea. If
the truth must be known, she did not confine her attentions to them
alone, but looked in as she passed on the young ensigns, offering
consolation to one, handing another a little cold brandy and water, and
doing her best to take comfort to all.

At length, after the ship had been tumbled about for nearly ten days,
the gale began to abate, the soldiers recovered their legs, though
looking somewhat pale and woebegone, and the cabin passengers once more
appeared on deck. The weather, however, had by this time become very
cold; there was no sitting down, as before, with work or book in hand,
to while away the time; the ladies took to thick cloaks, and the
mi