mad with pain all the
morning, and can't afford to be driven madder. Perhaps, somewhere or
other in the ship there may be a--a--thingumy."

"A whatumy?" inquired the other.

"A key, or--or--pincers," groaned Raywood, "for extracting--oh! man,
couldn't you pull it out?"

"Easily," said Charlie, with a smile. "I've got a pair of forceps--
always carry them in case of need, but never use them unless the patient
is very bad, and _must_ have it out."

Poor Raywood protested, with another groan, that his was a case in
point, and it _must_ come out; so Charlie sought for and found his
forceps.

"It won't take long, I suppose?" said the patient rather nervously, as
he opened his mouth.

"Oh no. Only a moment or--"

A fearful yell, followed by a gasp, announced to the whole ship's
company that a crisis of some sort had been passed by some one, and the
expert though amateur dentist congratulated his patient on his
deliverance from the enemy.

Only three of the ship's company, however, had witnessed the operation.
One was Dick Darvall, the seaman who chanced to be steering at the time,
and who could see through the open skylight what was being enacted in
the cabin. Another was the captain, who stood beside him. The third
was the cabin-boy, Will Ward, who chanced to be cleaning some brasses
about the skylight at the time, and was transfixed by what we may style
delightfully horrible sensations. These three watched the proceedings
with profound interest, some sympathy, and not a little amusement.

"Mind your helm, Darvall," said the Captain, stifling a laugh as the
yell referred to burst on his ears.

"Ay, ay, sir," responded the seaman, bringing his mind back to his duty,
as he bestowed a wink on the brass-polishing cabin-boy.

"He's up to everything," said Darvall in a low voice, referring to our
hero.

"From pitch-and-toss to manslaughter," responded the boy, with a broad
grin.

"I do believe, Mr Brooke, that you can turn your hand to anything,"
said Captain Stride, as Charlie came on deck a few minutes later. "Did
you ever study doctoring or surgery?"

"Not regularly," answered Charlie; "but occasionally I've had the chance
of visiting hospitals and dissecting-rooms, besides hearing lectures on
anatomy, and I have taken advantage of my opportunities. Besides, I'm
fond of mechanics; and tooth-drawing is somewhat mechanical. Of course
I make no pretension to a knowledge of regular dentistry, which
inv