As we also are moving towards her, we shall soon see all her sails and
her hull."

Nat kept watching the ship with intense interest; and although summoned
to luncheon, he begged that he might have something brought up to him,
so that he could watch her hull come in sight. This in a short time
happened, when he clapped his hands and shouted--

"Now I know that the world is round; but I thought it was so very big it
could make no difference."

"Well," exclaimed Dick, who had been listening to my remark, "I never
knew before how it was people guessed that the world was round. I saw
ships' sails popping up out of the ocean, but had not any idea how it
was, and did not like to ask."

"There you showed your want of wisdom," observed papa; "you should have
tried to think the matter out, or inquired."

The wind continued to favour us, drawing gradually to the westward. We
sighted a red light on Kinnaird's Head, which, as we got more to the
eastward, changed to a bright colour. Beyond it was Fraserburgh. By
hauling our wind we were able to steer for Rathay Head. Near it we
caught sight of Inverugie Castle. We gave a wide berth to the head,
from which a dangerous reef of rocks run out; for though the ocean was
tolerably calm, we could see the water breaking over them.

We were now hoping, as the wind was off shore, to stand due south for
Aberdeen, which we were all anxious to see. We had sighted Slaines
Castle, standing out solitary and grand on the very edge of the crag,
when the wind suddenly backed round to the southward, and in a short
time began to blow very hard. Dark clouds, which had been gathering
thickly in the horizon to the south-east, came careering on over the
blue sky. In spite of the heavy sea which was getting up, we held our
course, standing away from the land, intending to tack again when we
could to fetch Aberdeen. By the way the Dolphin was tumbling about I
could readily understand how we must have appeared to her. Dick began
to show signs of being far from happy, and Nat's cheerfulness entirely
left him. Papa sent him down below, and told him to turn in. Dick,
however, braved it out, but grew more and more yellow and woebegone.

"This won't do," observed papa; "it's fortunate that we have a port
under our lee. Up helm, ease away the main sheet. We'll let the
Dolphin know that we are running for Peterhead."

The Dolphin followed our example; and away we went, careering on before
the f