er a moment's consideration, declared that he was. The feeling
of seasickness had passed off, and except that he was wet through and
miserable, he felt himself again, and could have eaten four times the
allowance of food that Vincent handed him. A pannikin of rum and water
did much to restore his life and vitality, and he was soon, with the
light-heartedness of his race, laughing and chatting cheerfully.

"How long dis go on, you tink, sah?"

"Not long, I hope, Dan. I was afraid last night it was going to be a big
gale, but I do not think it is blowing so hard now as it was in the
night."

"Where have we got to now, sah?"

"I don't exactly know, Dan; but I do not suppose that we are very many
miles away from shore. The mast and oars prevent our drifting fast, and
I don't think we are further off now than we were when we left that ship
yesterday. But even if we were four or five times as far as that, we
should not take very long in sailing back again when the wind drops; and
as we have got enough to eat for a week we need not be uncomfortable
about that."

"Not much food for a week, Massa Vincent."

"Not a great deal, Dan; but quite enough to keep us going. You can make
up for lost time when you get to shore again."

In a few hours it was certain that the wind was going down. By midday
the clouds began to break up, and an hour later the sun was shining
brightly. The wind was still blowing strongly, but the sea had a very
different appearance in the bright light of the sun to that which it had
borne under the canopy of dark gray clouds. Standing up in the boat two
hours later, Vincent could see no signs of land.

"How shall we find our way back, Marse Vincent?"

"We have got a compass; besides, we should manage very well even if we
had not. Look at the sun, Dan. There it is right ahead of us. So, you
know that's the west--that's the way we have to go."

"That very useful ob de sun, sah; but suppose we not live in de west de
sun not point de way den."

"Oh, yes, he would, just the same, Dan. We should know whether to go
away from him, or to keep him on the right hand or on the left."

This was beyond Dan. "And I s'pose the moon will show de way at night,
massa?"

"The moon would show the way if she were up, but she is not always up;
but I have got a compass here, and so whether we have the sun or the
moon, or neither of them, I can find my way back to land."

Dan had never seen a compass, and for an hour a