stepped on board.

"Good news, Alick!" he exclaimed. "We are to get under weigh
immediately the wind will allow us, and proceed at once to Jamaica,
where the captain is anxious to land the sick and wounded. I knew you
would be glad to hear this; you will receive, I hope on arrival, a due
reward for your gallant deeds, for every one says that you are sure to
be promoted."

"I shall certainly prize that for many reasons," answered Murray, "and
thanks to you for cheering me up. Our energies have been taxed pretty
severely for the last few days, and I feel more out of spirits than
usual. What account do you bring me of poor Archy?"

"The doctor is more hopeful about him than at first. Young Highlander
as he is, he thinks that there is every prospect of his getting round
again in time by careful nursing, and I dare say your friends at Saint
David's will be happy to take charge of him when we get to Jamaica. He
will afford an object of interest to Miss O'Regan, and draw her off from
the thoughts of her own loss."

"I trust that such may be the case," said Murray. "But, my dear Jack, I
have been oppressed with all sorts of evil forebodings about her. I
cannot help dreading that she has been attacked by fever, or that she
has met with some accident, or that--"

"Nonsense, Alick, that's not like you," interrupted Jack. "You say that
your energies have been severely taxed: that alone is the cause of your
forebodings of evil. After we have been at sea a day or two you will
laugh at them. Good-bye, I must be off."

Jack pulled on for the corvette, and delivered the welcome order to
prepare for sea. The surgeon gave him a bad account of the commander.
His mind was wandering, and he was every day becoming weaker. He was
continually talking of his beloved beeves and his pigs, his orchard and
his cabbage-garden, and sometimes he fancied that he was bestriding his
trusty cob, setting off to market, and he would shout out to his old
housekeeper, Martha, to have his dinner ready at his return.

"Poor fellow, he would have been wiser had he continued cultivating his
little farm in Bedfordshire, instead of tempting again the treacherous
deep," thought Jack. "However, probably Alick will get the vacancy, so
it's all right."

A short time afterwards a light breeze came off the land. The sails
were let fall, and, the frigate leading the way, the small squadron
shaped a course for Jamaica.

The _Supplejack_ proved hers