he wetting and cold to which every one had been
exposed, few on board either of the boats complained of illness. The
doctor, therefore, had but two or three patients, who did not occupy
much of his time, the rest of the day being employed in attending to his
still. From its very moderate dimensions, however, notwithstanding the
heat created by the burning blubber, it produced but a very small
quantity of fresh water; yet that was sufficient to quench the thirst of
all in the two boats. His great wish was to produce enough to make tea
for the poor women, at all events.

"But you must tell Lizard to look out for another whale or porpoise, or
some other cetacea, or we shall run short of fuel, and that is a
calamity we must avoid, if possible," he observed to Willy.

Paul, on receiving the message, again took his harpoon in hand to strike
any fish which might rise sufficiently near. The calm continuing, and
the men being sufficiently refreshed, Shafto, after consulting with
Bollard, resolved to row on till nightfall in the direction of the land
they hoped to reach. The order was given, "Out oars," and the boats
began to glide smoothly over the calm surface. When the men began to
grow tired, Mrs Rumbelow was ever ready to cheer them up. "Pull away,
boys! pull away!" she cried out. "We are not badly off as it is, but we
shall be better still on dry land. We shall find the breeze, may be, a
few miles ahead, and that will spin us along without the necessity of
making your arms ache." Sometimes she would sit down, and grasping an
oar, assist one of the younger seamen; she showed, indeed, that she
could pull as good an oar as any one on board, and thus no one ventured
to exhibit any signs of weariness. Thus the day wore on till supper
time arrived, and a substantial meal, cooked under the superintendence
of the doctor, was served out to all hands, the cutter coming alongside
for her share.

"Little fear of their parting intentionally with us, since we are the
dispensers of the good things of life," observed the doctor. "I am
afraid, however, that we shall have to be put on short allowance unless
we get along faster than we have lately been doing." The last remark
was made in a whisper to Willy. As most of the soldiers could row, the
men on board were divided into watches, so that they might relieve each
other at the oars, and thus the two boats continued their course during
the night.

CHAPTER TEN.

WATER!