thankful that we had not neglected to prepare for all
contingencies.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

FRESH WATER.

We had for some time very fine weather, which confirmed Bob Hunt in his
opinion that the cat, Duchess, was as wise as he had at first believed.

"She knowed it," he observed, looking sagaciously at Dick Nailor, who
was sitting on the capstan with his arms folded across his broad chest,
looking out ahead, "she knowed it, and she'll stick by this craft till
we get safe into Port Jackson, you'll see that."

"As to that, I see that the cat is there, and that our little craft is
afloat, and every prospect of remaining so!" answered Dick. It was
seldom he uttered so long an expression. "You don't even say that the
cat has had any hand in keeping her afloat; and to my mind, it's just
this: she found the craft tight and wholesome, she was fond of us, and
she saw that we didn't leave her, and so she didn't. No, no, Bob, the
old Duchess had nothing to do with the matter. There's one aloft who
took care of us, and if the cat had fallen overboard, or gone ashore and
been left behind, it would have made no manner of difference."

"Then, I suppose you mean to say that there is no such person as the
Flying Dutchman?" observed Bob; "everybody who has rounded the Cape has
heard of him."

"There might have been some villain of a Dutchman who swore that he'd
beat about the seas till the Day of Judgment; but depend on it, if he
ever did utter such an oath, he's gone to answer for it long ago--far
away from this world," said Dick Nailor, solemnly. "I've heard many,
many men talk of the Flying Dutchman, but I never yet met with one who
had seen him."

Neither had Bob Hunt, and so he had nothing to answer to this--indeed,
talkative as he was, he always had to knock under to Dick's sturdy,
matter-of-fact arguments, or to his pertinacious silence, if no argument
was forthcoming.

The quaint fellow would fold his arms, sit down, and look a picture of
stolidity.

I have not said much about how my children passed their time during the
voyage. The boys were generally employed in sailing the vessel, or
about the rigging; for my object was not only to keep the vessel in good
order during the voyage, but to take her into Port Jackson looking as
fresh as I could. However, the boys had time to practice writing and to
study their books, and both Peter and Charles White were able to help
them. The girls had plenty of work to do, as