they suffered
terribly from thirst. It was that which had killed his comrades mainly.
As for him, he bore it better than them, but it must have been eight
days since a drop of liquid had passed his lips.

"Golly, dat am bad," said Snowball in the galley that evening, when some
of the hands gathered round the caboose to have a comfortable pipe and
talk over the events of the day. "Dat orful bad, eight day widout grub
or liquor! dis niggah not able 'tomach dat for sure!"

"Lor', Snowball, that's nothing when you are used to it," said Ben
Boltrope, the man-o'-war's-man, who was pretty well king of the
forecastle by reason of his service in the navy and general smartness as
a seaman. "What is eight days in a boat without grub, when you've got
to go ten, as I've done, besides wandering about on a sandy shore after
swimming for a day and night to save my life? Why, that's nothing!"

"Goramighty, Massa Boltrope, you no swim ten day widout habin' notin' to
eat, nor no water, hey?" said Snowball in astonishment.

"No, you blessed donkey, I didn't say that," replied the worthy Jack
tar. "I said as how I had gone without grub or water for ten days after
swimming for more than twelve hours."

"Dat berry rum for sure," said the darkey--"don't know how to belieb
dat, no how!"

CHAPTER NINE.

THE CAPE OF STORMS.

The steady nor'-east wind that was driving the good ship so gallantly on
her way when Captain Dinks put her about in order to rescue the
Norwegian sailor, continued for days, accompanied by such magnificent
weather, that the _Nancy Bell_ was enabled to make very rapid progress
down to those lower parallels it was necessary for her to reach before
she could stretch forward, in a straight line eastward towards her port
of destination.

"I guess, Cap," said Mr Zachariah Lathrope, noticing the quick change
of temperature in the air, day by day, as they left the tropics behind--
the mornings and evenings becoming gradually colder--"she air making as
straight tracks fur the south as them northern carpet-baggers did after
our little onpleasantness, what you folks called the civil war in the
States; when they used to rush down from Washington arter
postmasterships and other sich like offices, which wer to be hed, they
kinder thought, fur the asking! She air goin' slick, and that's a
fact!"

"Yes," replied the worthy captain, whose face beamed with good humour
and satisfaction at the splendid run the vessel was