to get over a disagreeable passage and rejoin their ship, they
would gladly have gone on short commons and made a quick passage. The
water every day became worse and diminished in quantity, and they had
serious apprehensions of what might be the result.

"If we could manage to construct such a still as our friend the American
doctor formed on the sand-bank, we might obtain fresh water," observed
Tom.

"I'm sure I don't know exactly how it was done," answered Desmond, "but
I remember the principle, and feel pretty sure that I could manage it if
any one on board understands blacksmith's work. Steam we can produce
fast enough from the largest tea-kettle on board; the chief difficulty
will be the condenser."

When, however, Tom mentioned his idea to Captain Stubbins, the skipper
laughed at him, and declared that he could not do it if he tried, as
there was no blacksmith on board. A breeze springing up made it less
necessary for Tom to try his experiment, and the skipper asserted that
the water would hold out until they could get into Sydney. He was,
however, all this time keeping much further to the eastward than was
necessary. Tom and Desmond agreed that he was not aware how far off he
was from land, though he would find out his mistake when he came to haul
to the westward.

"Well, I do wish this voyage was over," exclaimed poor Billy, on whom
the hard fare was beginning to tell, though he had wonderfully withstood
the long journey across the country. "I shall be losing the number of
my mess if this horrid brig doesn't make better way than she has
hitherto been doing."

There seemed every probability of the voyage being prolonged. Now the
wind was contrary, now it again fell calm; and even with a fair wind the
tub of a brig seldom made more than five or six knots an hour. The heat
of the cabin was such that the midshipmen never remained below longer
than they could help, and much of the night was spent on deck. The
skipper, on the contrary, seemed seasoned to any amount of heat, and was
constantly below.

One night, after a supper of hard, cold, salt beef, which they could
only eat by cutting it into the thinnest of slices--mouldy biscuit, rum
and muddy water--they went on deck, where they found Casey and Peter,
who had been taking a meal of the same description. Excepting the
watch, the rest of the crew were below.

"Any chance of our getting in, sir?" asked Casey of Tom. "It is pretty
well time we sho