at he was
on board one of his Majesty's frigates, and that the persons who stood
beside him were her captain and the medico.

"Hoo's a' wi' ye the noo, my mon?" repeated the doctor, placing his
fingers upon George's pulse.

"I--I--scarcely know," stammered George drowsily. "I feel all right and
very comfortable. Is anything the matter? And--and _where am I_?"

"Ye feel a' richt, do ye?" returned the doctor, ignoring George's
question. "Ye're no' hungry--nor thirsty, eh?"

"Not particularly," answered George. "And yet I think I could take some
breakfast, if it would not be troubling--"

"Brackfast! Hear til him; brackfast! why, mon,"--drawing out a huge,
turnip-like silver watch--"it's nearly sax o'clock p.m. Will a bite o'
dinner no' serve ye as weel? Hech, hech," and the queer, grumpy-looking
visage of the really genial-hearted doctor beamed into a smile, as his
lips uttered the strange sounds which with him passed for laughter.

Doctor Pearson's laughter was infectious, perhaps because of its
singularity. George smiled in response, and Captain Singleton smiled
too; then, turning to the doctor, the latter said--

"My dinner will be served in a few minutes, doctor. If you think it
would not injure your patient, I will send him in something from my
table."

"Weel," responded the doctor with the caution characteristic of his
countrymen, "I'll no' commit mysel' by any positeeve statement just;
I'll wait and see, since ye've been so vera kind as to ask me to dine
wi' ye. But I think I may venture to say that a wee drappie o' soup
will no' hurt the chiel. And noo, wi' your leave, captain, I'll just
tak' the sma' leeberty o' turnin' ye oot o' your ain cabin, as there's
been an ample suffeecency o' conversation for the present."

The captain laughed good-naturedly, and turned, with a friendly nod to
George, to leave the cabin. Doctor Pearson also turned to go, but
paused for an instant to once more feel George's pulse, and then, with
an amiable grunt of satisfaction, he also walked out, saying as he
went--

"Never fash your brains, my mon, by wonderin' whaur ye are. Ye're in
guid han's, ye may tak' my word for it, and in guid time, when ye're
strong eneuch to talk, you'll be told everything. Noo lie still, and
keep your 'ees open for a few minutes, and I'll see that ye hae a decent
bit of dinner sent in til ye."

The worthy doctor was as good as his word; a substantial basin of
nourishing soup, wit