the case at such entertainments.

Early in September, when scurvy was still raging, the doctor was,
one day, lamenting the impossibility of obtaining oranges and
lemons.

"It makes one's heart ache," he said, "to see the children suffer.
It is bad enough that strong men should be scarcely able to crawl
about; but soldiers must take their chances, whether they come from
shot or from scurvy; but it is lamentable to see the children
fading away. We have tried everything--acids and drugs of all
sorts--but nothing does any good. As I told you, I saw the scurvy
on the whaling trip I went, and I am convinced that nothing but
lemon juice, or an absolutely unlimited amount of vegetables, will
do any good."

A week previously, a small privateer had come in with some
mailbags, which she had brought on from Lisbon. Among them was a
letter to Bob from the owners of the Antelope. It had been written
months before, after the arrival of the brig and her two prizes in
England. It said that the two vessels and their cargoes had been
sold, and the prize-money divided; and that his share amounted to
three hundred and thirty-two pounds, for which sum an order upon a
firm of merchants at Gibraltar was inclosed. The writers also said
that, after consultation with Captain Lockett, from whom they had
heard of the valuable services he had rendered, the owners of the
Antelope had decided--as a very small mark of their appreciation,
and gratitude--to present him with a service of plate, to the value
of five hundred pounds, and in such form as he might prefer on his
return to England.

He had said nothing to his sister of this letter, as his intention
was to surprise her with some present. But the doctor's words now
determined him to carry into effect an idea that had before
occurred to him, upon seeing so many sickly children among the
families of the officers of their acquaintance.

"Look here, doctor," he said, "I mean to go out and try and get a
few boxes of oranges and lemons; but mind, nobody but you and I
must know anything about it."

"How on earth do you mean to do it, Bob?"

"Well, I have not settled, yet; but there can't be any difficulty
about getting out. I might go down to the Old Mole, and swim from
there to the head of the bay; or I might get some of the fishermen
to go round the point, and land me to the east, well beyond the
Spanish lines."

"You couldn't do that, Bob; there is too sharp a lookout kept on
the batteri