ar, and his pulse even.

"He looks very strange," Mr Rawlings said. "Concussion of the brain, I
should say."

The sailor-surgeon was puzzled.

"I guess he's dumb, and deaf too," he said to the passenger who had been
acting as his medical assistant, and watching the mate's operations with
much interest. "But no," he added presently; "a boy with such eyes and
such a face could never be so afflicted! I've seen scores of
deaf-mutes, and you could never mistake their countenances. I know what
it is, he has received such a shock to the system that it has paralysed
his nerves--that's it!"

"It's either that or concussion," the passenger argued.

And the steward, who did not know what to say, and would indeed now have
endorsed any opinion that the mate had propounded after what he had seen
of his practical skill, gave a confirmatory nod, expressive of his
entire approval of the other's dictum.

"Yes, Jasper," replied the other, "it's only a temporary shock to the
system, and rest and attention will work it off in a short time."

It was a peculiarity with Mr Seth Allport, the first mate of the _Susan
Jane_, that when he spoke on medical topics and subjects, which formed
the only real education he had received, his mode of speech was refined
and almost polished; whereas, his usual language when engaged in
seafaring matters--his present vocation--was vernacular in the extreme,
smacking more of Vermont than it did of Harvard and college training.

"I'm certain my diagnosis is correct," he said again to Mr Rawlings--
after seeing the lad clothed in a flannel shirt and thick pair of
trousers of the skipper's, into whose cot he was then carefully placed,
and wrapped up, the little fellow closing his eyes at once and sinking
into a sound sleep--"and when he wakes up he'll be all right, and be
able to tell us all about himself."

"I hope you may be right," Mr Rawlings said, doubtfully. "Sleep may do
much for him; at any rate, I will remain in the cabin to watch him for a
while."

So saying, he took his seat by the boy, while the mate proceeded to go
on deck and rejoin the skipper, and the steward went to work to prepare
breakfast.

The wind had now got well abeam of the _Susan Jane_ and lessened
considerably, although still blowing steady from the southwards and
eastwards; and the sea being also somewhat calmer, the good ship was
able to spread more sail, shaking the reefs out of her topsails and
mainsail, while her c