e doctor, as he accompanied the
master on deck. "Proper food is all she wants, and Captain Rogers will
do his utmost to supply you."

"I shall be very grateful," said the master. "My poor wife would not
take more than her share when she found how the men were suffering, nor
touch any of mine, and, being delicate, she was almost succumbing."

The doctor having now examined the most suffering of the crew, returned
on board to report their condition, and obtain the medicines he
considered necessary.

Jack liberally supplied the ship with such provisions as were required
to take them home. As he was anxious to lose as little time as
possible, he also sent Mr Large, the boatswain, with more men on board,
who, working assiduously, soon got up a fore jury-mast, repaired the
bowsprit, set up topmasts, with their rigging, and bent fresh sails, all
of which had been carried away.

The carpenter, having stopped the leak, set to work to patch up the
bulwarks, a task the diminished crew of the _Argo_ were unable to
accomplish.

Captain Robson gave a sad account of their sufferings. Two men had died
of fever, while three had been washed overboard during a previous gale,
which had well-nigh sent her to the bottom. "By-the-by, sir," he said
to Tom, "we spoke a ship just as it was commencing, but there was too
much sea on to allow us to board her. She was under Dutch colours,
bound out to Batavia. She began to signalise us, but all I could make
out was what seemed to be `British officer, take him on board, say'; but
before I could distinguish the other flags, the gale came down on us,
and we had too much to do to look after his signals, which probably did
not concern us."

"Could you make out anybody on the stranger's deck?" asked Tom, eagerly.

"No, sir, for evening was coming on, and we were too far off for that.
She was a big ship, high out of the water for one outward bound.
However, I did not further note her, and she was soon out of sight.
That very night we lost a man overboard, but it was not until some weeks
later, after we had been becalmed for ten days or more, that we fell in
with the gale which reduced us to the wrecked state in which you found
us."

"I wish you could have made out the signal," said Tom. "Are you certain
that the first part was `British officer'?"

"No doubt about that," answered Captain Robson, "and I am certain as to
the other words."

"That's strange," thought Tom. "I wonder whether