to some species of the monkey tribe. He seemed to feel that
something serious was about to happen to him. Looking up in the sad
face of his young mistress, he uttered a very gentle and plaintive
"oo-oo-ee!"

Ailie burst into a passionate flood of tears, and in the impulse of the
moment handed her own cup, which she had not tasted, to Jacko, who
drained it in a twinkling--before the captain could snatch it from his
hands.

Having emptied it, Jacko went forward as he had been taught to do, and
handed back the cup with quite a pleased expression of countenance--for
he was easily satisfied, poor thing!

"You should not have done that, my darling," said the captain, as he
gave Ailie another portion.

"Dear papa, I couldn't help it," sobbed the child; "indeed I couldn't--
and you need not give me any. I can do without it to-day."

"Can you? But you shan't," exclaimed Glynn, with a degree of energy
that would have made every one laugh in happier times.

"No, no, my own pet," replied the captain. "You shan't want it. Here,
you _must_ drink it, come."

From that day Jacko received his allowance regularly as long as a drop
of water was left, and no one again murmured against it. When it was
finished he had to suffer with the rest.

The calm which had set in proved to be of longer duration than usual,
and the sufferings of the crew of the little boat became extreme. On
the third day after its commencement the last drop of water was served
out. It amounted to a couple of teaspoonfuls per man each meal, of
which there were three a day. During the continuance of the calm, the
sun shone in an almost cloudless sky and beat down upon the heads of the
men until it drove them nearly mad. They all looked like living
skeletons, and their eyes glared from their sunken sockets with a dry
fiery lustre that was absolutely terrible to behold. Had each one in
that boat possessed millions of gold he would have given all, gladly,
for one drop of fresh water; but, alas! nothing could purchase water
there. Ailie thought upon the man who, in the Bible, is described as
looking up to heaven from the depths of hell and crying for one drop of
water to cool his tongue, and she fancied that she could now realise his
agony. The captain looked up into the hot sky, but no blessed cloud
appeared there to raise the shadow of a hope. He looked down at the
sea, and it seemed to mock him with its clear blue depths, which looked
so sweet and