ssed
Scotchman would have a long yarn with me, about goodness knows what!"

"I'm glad you've come," I replied; and then I went on to tell him about
my fears of peril to the ship from our vicinity to the Rocks of Saint
Paul, which I was certain we were approaching every mile we ran further
west.

But the boatswain was almost as incredulous of our being near the shoal
as the first mate had been in the afternoon.

"Bless you, Mister Leigh, we're miles to windward of that place," said
he with a laugh. "But it's allers the way with your young navigators as
is full chock up to the bung with book larnin' and hasn't had no real
'sperience o' the sea yet! They allers fancy all sorts o' dangers that
your old seamen who've been a v'yage or two never thinks o' reckonin'
on!"

However, the good-natured fellow, seeing how earnest I was in the
matter, promised to take the chart to the skipper, who was lying down in
his cabin again, feeling far from well of late, as, indeed, his looks
lately showed--and we were all afraid he had caught the same sort of low
fever like Mr Ohlsen, the second mate.

"An; I'll tell him as mildly as I can, Mister Leigh, of this here mare's
nest as you've found out, so as not to make him angry with you again."

"Thank you, Jorrocks," I replied heartily; but, just at that moment,
hearing the whales making a noise quite close to the ship's side as I
thought--although I could not see them within the limited circle of
dusky light to which the surrounding gloom narrowed my vision, I said,
"What a row those whales are making, are they not? They're quite near,
and yet, although it's not dark enough yet to hide them from our gaze,
there's not a trace of one in sight!"

Jorrocks cocked his head on one side and listened; but in an instant
there was a striking alteration in the quizzical look with which he had
at first regarded me, under the evident idea that I had discovered
another "mare's nest."

"By Jingo, Mister Leigh, you're right after all!" he exclaimed, his face
turning pale as if with sudden fright.

"What, do you think we're running on the rocks I spoke about?" I asked,
anxiously.

"Aye, not a doubt of it," he answered, in the same quick way, bending
his head again to listen over the side. "Either them identical ones, or
else we're on the Rocas off the Brazilian coast."

In another moment, however, if in doubt previously, his suspicions were
apparently confirmed; for, springing up again, a