in. Even the throb
of the propeller was soothing in its regularity.

"You've had a good sleep, sir. Feel better this morning, sir?"

It was broad daylight, and the motion of the ship had changed to a very
decided roll. I sat up in my bunk.

"Shall we be in soon, steward?" I asked, recognising that functionary.

"Be in soon? Why, hardly, sir," he answered, looking puzzled. "We
don't touch nowhere."

"No, I suppose not. But where are we now?"

"Well into the Bay."

"The Bay! What Bay?"

"Bay o' Biscay, sir," he replied, looking as though he thought the
effects of my buffeting had impaired my reasoning faculties.

"Bay of Biscay!" I echoed. "The Channel, you mean. The captain said
we were bound for East London."

"So we are, sir, and we're heading there at nine knots an hour. We
shan't do so much, though, if this sou'wester keeps up."

An idea struck me, but it was a confused one.

"Steward," I said, sitting bolt upright. "Will you oblige me with a
piece of information. Where the devil _is_ East London?"

"Eastern end of the Cape Colony, Mr Holt; and a bad port of call,
whichever way you take it."

The answer came from the captain, who entered at that moment. The
steward went on with his occupation, that of laying the table for
breakfast.

"Great Scott!" I cried, as the truth dawned upon me. "But--"

"I see how it stands," said the captain with a smile. "You thought East
London meant the East India Docks. I didn't set you right at the time,
because you might have got into a state of excitement, and rest was the
word just then. Now I think you are fairly on your legs again."

"But--botheration! I don't want to take a voyage to the Cape. I
suppose you can put me ashore somewhere, so I can get back."

"I'm afraid not. We don't touch anywhere. But I think even the voyage
is the lesser evil of the two. Better than lying at the bottom of the
Channel, I mean."

"Well, certainly. Don't think me ungrateful, Captain Morrissey; but
this will mean a lot to me. I shall lose my berth, for one thing."

"Even that isn't worse than losing your life, and you had a narrow
squeak of that. By the way, were you sculling across the Channel for a
bet?"

"Haw, haw, haw!" rumbled the broad red man, who had rolled in in time to
catch this question.

I joined in the laugh, and told them how I came to be found in such a
precarious plight. Then I learned how my rescue had been effected, and
inde