ance
to have some sport with one of the sailors--a German--sewed up the
sleeves of the man's Jersey. When the man tumbled out of his bunk,
in a hurry to take his watch on deck, he could not understand the
reason why he could not put on his garment.

"Vot's der madder?" he exclaimed, struggling with the sleeves.
"Der vitches haf been at vork! I am bevitched!"

"More like that onery critter of a boy done it," suggested his
messmate, a practical Yankee.

"So? I plays a joke on him, alretty yet. Vatch."

And the German was as good as his word. The next afternoon Bob
suddenly felt himself being pitched over the rail toward the sea.
He yelled and made a grab for the mizzen shroud near which he was
standing, but he suddenly found himself brought up with a round
turn, for the German had caught the boy's feet in a bight of cable,
so that he would not go overboard.

"So!" he exclaimed. "You sews up my sleeves, eh? I t'inks you
don't do so no more! Eh?"

"More tricks!" exclaimed the captain, when matters had been
explained to him, "I wonder if he'll ever be cured?"

But Bob's cure was nearer at hand than either he or the captain
expected.

The fine weather continued for a week, during which time the
_Eagle_ made good progress. Then came several days of dead calm,
when they were near the Tropic of Capricorn, and they suffered much
from the heat of the sun.

"I don't like this," remarked Captain Spark one day, as he looked
up at the brassy sky.

"Why not?" asked Bob, with the familiarity of a relative.

"I think this means a storm, and we're in a poor location for a bad
blow. I don't like it."

As the day wore on it became evident that the captain's prophecy
was about to be verified. The wind sprang up suddenly, almost
before sail could be shortened, and the _Eagle_ heeled over until
if seemed as if she would not right. That was the beginning of a
storm that was worse than the other.

Scudding along under mere rags of canvas, the ship headed right
into the swirl of waters agitated by the wind. As night settled
down the captain prepared for the worst. It was evident that he
feared something, and every man was on the alert.

The wind increased, but there was no rain. On and on rushed the
ship, all through the night. The captain seemed to grow more
anxious and would not leave his place at the wheel.

Suddenly, just as the darkness was giving place to the gray light
of morning, the _Eagle_ hit somet