the table lightly and said grace.

"Like to see how we take observations by and by, Mr Jack?" he said.

"With a telescope?" said Jack quickly, feeling relieved that no one
asked him how he felt now.

"Well, yes, we do use a little glass in the business attached to the
sextant. But you thought I meant observations of the land?"

"Yes."

"No, we are far away from land now. We take our observations from the
sun at twelve o'clock, and then I can give you the exact spot where we
are upon the chart."

"That's curious," said Jack.

"Yes, sir; curious, but quite commonplace now. It's worth noticing
though how cleverly scientific men have worked it out for us, and what
with our instruments, the chronometer, and the nautical almanac, we only
want a bit of sunshine to be able to find out our bearings and never
feel afraid of being lost."

"I'll come and see how it's done."

"Do, sir, at noon; and you'll like to see the heaving of the log as
well."

The captain was right; the wind dropped--and quite suddenly--a good hour
before noon, and Jack found himself beginning to feel a little hungry
and hollow inside just about the time when the sextant was brought out,
but he felt interested in what was being done, and found himself
beginning to think that perhaps after all there might be something
during the voyage to compensate for the deprivations he was to suffer
with respect to his regular studies and his books.

It was curious, too, how little he began to think of the rising and
falling of the vessel, as she glided over the waves, which were rough
enough, and sparkled brilliantly in the sunshine; but the fore-part of
the deck was dry now and warm, while the yacht looked picturesque and
cheery, with the crew busy over various matters connected with the
navigation.

But nobody made the slightest allusion now to his having been ill, or
asked how he felt, and the colour came into the lad's cheeks once as he
caught his father's eyes, which somehow seemed to wear a more contented
and satisfied look, but he only said quietly--

"I say, Jack, lad, do you think we could sit down in a chair now without
being shot out?"

Jack felt obliged to reply, so he said--

"Let's try."

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

Jack's eyes begin to open.

"No," said Sir John, in reply to a question addressed to him by the
captain, one beautiful moonlight evening, as they were running down
within sight of the coast of Portugal; "unless it is necessa