ust be hungry, and I am pretty sharp set myself."

"What you like to have, Mr Shobbrok? Roast beef, boiled mutton, pork
pies, or plum pudding?" asked Nub, trying to make Walter and Alice
laugh, for he observed how sad they both looked. "Well, if we can't
have dem, we have whale blubber; it bery good for dem dat like it. Take
a lilly bit, Missie Alice."

Poor Alice's lip curled. She recollected how nauseous she had found it
in the morning. Nub got out some of the blubber, which the rest of the
party swallowed without making faces. Fortunately there was still a
small portion of biscuit, and this enabled Alice at length to get down
enough of the food to sustain her strength. They had still the wine and
water; but, alas! there now remained only sufficient biscuit to afford
her another meal. "After that has gone, what can we give the little
girl to eat?" thought the mate. "Well, well, she has been sustained
hitherto, and we must not anticipate evil."

Nub having stowed away the rest of the blubber, the oars were got out,
and while Walter steered, he and the mate began to urge on the raft
towards the shore. Their progress, however, was very slow, as when they
stood up their bodies acted the part of sails, and they were driven back
almost as fast as they advanced. Several birds were flying overhead, a
sign that land could not be far off; while, as they looked around, they
saw here and there fish of all sizes rising out of the water.

"We may get hold of one of these fellows if they come near us," said the
mate. "Our time may be better spent in preparing the harpoons. Lay in
your oar, Nub, and we will set to work."

They all eagerly sat down, and in a short time two harpoons were fitted
with lines, while spears were also got ready for use. Scarcely were
their preparations completed when the land-breeze died away; and a
sea-breeze shortly afterwards setting in, the sail was once more
hoisted, and the raft steered for the land. All the party kept a bright
lookout ahead on either side, in the hope of seeing a fish and getting
near enough to catch it. The mate and Nub stood with their harpoons in
their hands ready for instant use; the importance of catching some
creature made them vigilant; the strong flavour of the blubber assured
them that it would not keep much longer. They had got a short distance,
when Alice exclaimed, "See, see! what is that curious fish?" She
pointed to a spot a short distance on one si