ly.

"Yes."

Mr. Weatherby took a large dose of quinine, so large that he was
unable to remain in the pilot-house after midnight, but as the route
was over a course he had previously traveled, Nat had no difficulty in
steering the big vessel, with occasional help from Captain Turton.

"Well, Nat, how did you make out?" Mr. Weatherby asked him the next
morning.

"Pretty well. I was a bit frightened at first, and I was afraid I
would forget some of the signals, or read the lights wrong, and pile
the boat up on an island or a bar, but I didn't."

"Glad to hear it. I was a little anxious about you. Now whatever you
do, when you're in the pilot-house, don't lose your nerve. Just say to
yourself that you're going to succeed, and bring the ship through, and
you'll do it."

"There's more responsibility here than on a freighter."

"Indeed, there is! Think of all the human lives entrusted to your
care. That will make you keep your nerve in case you get in a critical
place. But you did very well, and I'm proud of you."

"How are you feeling this morning?"

"Pretty well. I can take my trick now. You'd better turn in and get
some sleep. You may have to take part of the watch again to-night."

Nat did go to his bunk, after breakfast, but he did not stay there
long. One of the cabin stewards was injured by a fall down a
companionway, and Nat had to turn in and do this man's work. The
result was the boy was kept busy nearly all day, occasionally taking a
turn at the wheel.

Once, when he relieved Mr. Weatherby for a few minutes, while the
pilot went below to take some medicine, he remarked to his benefactor:

"You don't look very well."

"And I don't feel very well, Nat. But I'm trying to stick it out.
We've got a hard part of the lake ahead of us, a part where there are
more islands than you can shake a stick at, and I don't like to go
through there. But we've got to do it."

"But how can you, if you're sick?"

"Pilots, as well as other persons, can't always do as they would like
to. I guess I'll be all right. But I don't like the weather. The
longer this storm holds off, the worse it's likely to be. However,
there's no use worrying. I'll be back in a few minutes. Keep her about
as she is."

Left alone in the pilot-house Nat glanced at the compass, noted the
course marked on the charts, and by moving the small steam
steering-wheel slightly, found that the ship answered readily to the
helm.

Off to the west ther