r
fellow had expressed himself very grateful for the non-execution of the
Captain's threat of throwing him overboard."

"Oh," said Boreas, "that was only to frighten the chap. I am not such a
Turk as all that, though Mrs. Lyndsay has looked very seriously at me
ever since. Well, Collins, what had we better give the fellow?" And he
started from the sea-chest on which he was sitting astride, and
produced the medicine-chest.

Flora had forgotten all about the little red-haired doctor, Mac Adie,
and the _rist o' persons_, till the sight of the condemned article met
her eyes.

It was a large handsome mahogany case, inlaid with brass. The Captain
opened it with a sort of mysterious awe, and displayed a goodly store of
glass bottles and china boxes.

"The lad's in a high fever," said Collins. "You had better give him
something that will cool his blood,--Epsom salts or cream of tartar."

"Perhaps a little of both?" said Boreas, looking up at his prime
minister with an enquiring comical twinkle in his one eye.

"A single dose of either would do."

"Let it be salts then. Get me some hot water, and I'll mix it directly."

The bottle of salts was produced, and the Captain proceeded to weigh out
a quarter of a pound of salts.

"Into how many doses do you propose to divide that quantity?" asked
Flora, who was watching his proceedings with considerable interest.

"Divide?" said Boreas, emptying the salts into a small tea-cup, which he
filled with boiling water; "he must take it at one gulp."

"Captain," said Flora, rising, and laying her hand on his arm, as he was
leaving the cabin, "you will kill the boy!"

"Do you think that such a drop as that would hurt an infant?" said
Boreas, holding out the cup. "Why, bless the woman! sailors are not like
other folks; they require strong doses."

"Captain, I entreat you not to be so rash. Divide the quantity into four
parts; add as much more water to each, and give it every four hours, and
it will do good. But if you persist in administering it your way, it may
be attended with very serious consequences."

"Fiddle-de-dee! Mrs. Lyndsay, I'm not going to make a toil of a
pleasure. He has to take it, and once will do for all." And, in spite of
her remonstrances, the obstinate old fellow went out to administer the
terrible dose with his own hands to the patient. It operated as
untowardly as Flora had predicted, and the lad came so near his death
that the Captain grew alarmed. Perha