our chance," said the doctor; then he relented a little.
"I'll try to send a couple of nurses down this afternoon," he added. "In
the meantime you must do what you can for them."

"Very good sir," said the skipper brokenly.

"All you can do at present," said the doctor, as he slowly mounted
the steps, "is to sponge them all over with cold water. Do it every
half-hour till the rash comes out."

"Very good," said the skipper again. "But you'll hurry up with the
nurses, sir!"

He stood in a state of bewilderment until the doctor was out of sight,
and then, with a heavy sigh, took his coat off and set to work.

He and the mate, after warning off the men who had come down to work,
spent all the morning in sponging their crew, waiting with an impatience
born of fatigue for the rash to come out. This impatience was shared by
the crew, the state of mind of the cook after the fifth sponging calling
for severe rebuke on the part of the skipper.

"I wish the nurses 'ud come, George," he said, as they sat on the deck
panting after their exertions; "this is a pretty mess if you like."

"Seems like a judgment," said the mate wearily.

"Halloa, there," came a voice from the quay.

Both men turned and looked up at the speaker.

"Halloa," said the skipper dully.

"What's all this about small-pox?" demanded the new-comer abruptly.

The skipper waved his hand languidly towards the forecastle.

"Five of 'em down with it," he said quietly. "Are you another doctor,
sir?"

Without troubling to reply, their visitor jumped on board and went
nimbly below, followed by the other two.

"Stand out of the light," he said brusquely. "Now, my lads, let's have a
look at you."

He examined them in a state of bewilderment, grunting strangely as the
washed-out men submitted to his scrutiny.

"They've had the best of cold sponging," said the skipper, not without a
little pride.

"Best of what?" demanded the other.

The skipper told him, drawing back indignantly as the doctor suddenly
sat down and burst into a hoarse roar of laughter. The unfeeling noise
grated harshly on the sensitive ears of the sick men, and Joe Burrows,
raising himself in his bunk, made a feeble attempt to hit him.

"You've been sold," said the doctor, wiping his eyes.

"I don't take your meaning," said the skipper with dignity.

"Somebody's been having a joke with you," said the doctor. "Get up, you
fools; you've got about as much small-pox as I have."

"Do