prevent dissatisfaction on the part of any with his portion, he caused
one of the men to turn his back on the food, and, pointing to one of the
portions said, "Who shall have this?"

"The Doctor, sir," returned the man promptly.

The portion was immediately handed to Charlie Brooke amid a general
laugh.

Thus every portion was disposed of, and the men sat down to eat in good
humour, in spite of the too evident fact that they had been at once
placed on short allowance, for, when each had finished, he assuredly
wished for more, though no one ventured to give expression to the wish.

The only exception was the little cabin-boy, who made a brave attempt to
eat, but utterly failed at the second mouthful.

"Come, Will," said Charlie in a kindly tone, pretending to misunderstand
the state of matters, "don't try to deceive yourself by prolonging your
breakfast. That won't make more of it. See, here, I'm not up to eating
much to-day, somehow, so I'll be greatly obliged if you will dispose of
half of mine as well as your own. Next time I am hungry, and you are
not, I'll expect you to do the same."

But Will Ward could not be thus induced to eat. He was really ill, and
before night was in a high fever. You may be sure that Dr Brooke, as
every one now called him, did his best to help the little sufferer, but,
of course, he could do very little, for all the medicines which he had
prepared had been put into the long-boat, and, in a small open boat with
no comforts, no medicines, and on short allowance of food, little could
be done, except to give the boy a space of the floor on which to lie, to
shield him from spray, and to cover him with blankets.

For a week the boat was carried over the sea by a fresh, steady breeze,
during which time the sun shone out frequently, so that things seemed
not so wretched as one might suppose to the shipwrecked mariners. Of
course the poor cabin-boy was an exception. Although his feverish
attack was a slight one he felt very weak and miserable after it. His
appetite began to return, however, and it was evident that the short
daily allowance would be insufficient for him. When this point was
reached Dick Darvall one day, when rations were being served out,
ventured to deliver an opinion.

"Captain and mates all," he said, while a sort of bashful smile played
upon his sunburnt features, "it do seem to me that we should agree, each
man, to give up a share of our rations to little Will