ght, and a shake the bottle in the
morning. That's Mr Frewen's cabin; I must get back on deck."

The next minute I was knocking at the doctor's door.

"Hullo!" came instantly.

"Would you get up, please, sir? Walters is very bad."

"So will some more be," I heard him say, "with this sea on." Then,
louder, "Wait a minute."

I waited a minute and then a bolt was drawn.

"Come in."

I entered, to find the young doctor hurriedly dressing.

"I thought it was your voice," he said, "What is it?"

"He thinks the meat we had last night has poisoned him, sir!"

"Rubbish! The rough sea. But I'll come and have a look at him
directly."

I ran back to our cabin, which I reached this time without going first
on deck.

"How are you now?" I said.

"Is he coming soon?" moaned Walters. "Oh dear! He'll be too late. I
know I'm dying; and if I do, don't--don't let 'em throw me overboard."

"You're not so bad as that," I said, trying to cheer him up.

"Oh, you don't know. Go and tell him to make haste before he is too
late."

To my surprise and delight the door was opened, and the doctor with a
very rough head came in.

"Now, squire," he cried, "what's the matter?"

"Ah, doctor, oh!"

"Ah, doctor, oh! Don't make that noise like an old woman of sixty.
Pretty sort of a fellow you are to come to sea."

"Oh dear, oh dear! I know I'm dying."

"Then you are precious clever, my lad. Bah! There's nothing the matter
with you but the sea tossing you up and down. Lie still, you'll soon
come round."

"It--isn't--sea--sick--ick--ickness," moaned Walters.

"Then it's uncommonly like it, that's all I can say," cried the doctor,
laughing. Then, turning to me--"There, you needn't be alarmed about
him, my lad."

"I wasn't sir," I replied. "I told him that was what ailed him."

"And quite right. I suppose you'll have a turn next if this rough
weather keeps on."

"But do, do give me something, doctor," groaned Walters.

"Your messmate will get you some tea presently," said the doctor,
quietly. "There, I must go and finish dressing." And he left the
cabin, while a good deal of my first work at sea was attending on poor
Walters, who was about as bad as he could be for the next few days,
during which the only passenger I saw was Mr Preddle, who came out of
his cabin twice a day, looking miserably ill, and having hard work to
stand; but Hampton the sailor and I used to help him go right forward to
attend to hi