aint, and then he thought 'twas catgut, for
when the keel of their boat scraped over it, it sang like a bird.

"That was the Equator," said Sam. "Now let's see if your eyes be any
better."

But when Joby tried them, what was his disappointment to find the
cast as bad as ever?--only now they were slewing right the other way,
towards the South Pole.

"I never thought well of this cure from the first," declared Sam.
"For my part, I'm sick and tired of the whole business!" And with
that he bounced up from the thwart and hailed a passing shark and
walked down its throat in a huff, leaving Joby all alone on the wide
sea.

"There's nice brotherly behaviour for you!" said Joby to himself.
"Lucky he left his walking-stick behind. The best thing I can do is
to steer along close to the Equator, and then I know where I am."

So he steered along close to the Line, and by and by he saw something
shining in the distance. When he came nearer, 'twas a great gilt
fowl stuck there with its beak to the Line and its wings sprawled
out. And when he came close, 'twas no other than the cock belonging
to the tower of his own parish church of Wendron!

"Well!" said Joby, "one has to travel to find out how small the world
is. And what might you be doin' here, naybour?"

"Is that you, Joby Teague? Then I'll thank you to do me a good turn.
I came here in a witch-ship last night, and the crew put this spell
upon me because I wouldn't pay my footing to cross the Line.
A nice lot, to try and steal the gilt off a church weather-cock!
'Tis ridiculous," said he, "but I can't get loose for the life o'
me!"

"Why, that's as easy as ABC," said Joby. "You'll find it in any book
of parlour amusements. You take a fowl, put its beak to the floor,
and draw a chalk line away from it, right and left--"

Joby wetted his thumb, smudged out a bit of the Equator on each side
of the cock's nose, and the bird stood up and shook himself.

"And now is there anything I can do for you, Joby Teague?"

"To be sure there is. I'm getting completely tired of this boat: and
if you can give me a lift, I'll take it as a favour."

"No favour at all. Where shall we go visit?--the Antipodes?"

"No, thank you," said Toby. "I've heard tell they get up an' do
their business when we honest folks be in our beds: and that kind o'
person I never could trust. Squint or no squint, Wendron's Wendron,
and that's where I'm comfortable."

"Well, it's no use loitering