olves, I believe, a scientific and prolonged education."

"May be so, Mr Brooke," returned the captain, "but your knowledge seems
deep and extensive enough to me, for, except in the matter o'
navigation, I haven't myself had much schoolin', but I do like to see a
fellow that can use his hands. As I said to my missus, not two days
before I left 'er: `Maggie,' says I, `a man that can't turn his hands to
anything ain't worth his salt. For why? He's useless at sea, an', by
consequence, can't be of much value on land.'"

"Your reasoning is unanswerable," returned Charlie, with a laugh.

"Not so sure o' that," rejoined the captain, with a modestly dubious
shake of his head; "leastwise, however unanswerable it may be, my missus
always manages to answer it--somehow."

At that moment one of the sailors came aft to relieve the
man-at-the-wheel.

Dick Darvall was a grave, tall, dark, and handsome man of about
five-and-twenty, with a huge black beard, as fine a seaman as one could
wish to see standing at a ship's helm, but he limped when he left his
post and went forward.

"How's the leg to-day, Darvall!" asked young Brooke, as the man passed.

"Better, sir, thankee."

"That's well. I'll change the dressing in half-an-hour. Don't disturb
it till I come."

"Thankee, sir, I won't."

"Now then, Raywood," said Charlie, descending to the cabin, where his
patient was already busy reading Maury's _Physical Geography of the
Sea_, "let's have a look at the gum."

"Oh, it's all right," said Raywood. "D'you know, I think one of the
uses of severe pain is to make one inexpressibly thankful for the mere
absence of it. Of course there is a little sensation of pain left,
which might make me growl at other times, but that positively feels
comfortable now by contrast!"

"There is profound sagacity in your observations," returned Charlie, as
he gave the gum a squeeze that for a moment or two removed the comfort;
"there, now, don't suck it, else you'll renew the bleeding. Keep your
mouth shut."

With this caution the amateur dentist left the cabin, and proceeded to
the fore-part of the vessel. In passing the steward's pantry a youthful
voice arrested him.

"Oh, please, sir," said Will Ward, the cabin-boy, advancing with a slate
in his hand, "I _can't_ make out the sum you set me yesterday, an' I'm
quite sure I've tried and tried as hard as ever I could to understand
it."

"Let me see," said his friend, taking the slate an