"Don't talk to me about eating!" he exclaimed. "It makes me sick to
think about it. Leave me--let me die in peace!"

Jack was not there, so Frank and Bruce washed up and went out together.
They were nearly through eating when the Virginian came in and took his
place near them at the table.

Usually the captain sat at the head of that table, but he was not there
now.

"Where have you been?" asked Frank.

"Getting onto a few things," said Jack, in a peculiar way.

"Why, what's the matter with you?" asked Bruce, pausing to stare at the
Southerner. "You are pale as a ghost!"

"Am I?" said Diamond, his voice sounding rather strained and unnatural.

"Sure thing. I wouldn't advise you to eat any more, and perhaps you
hadn't better look at the chandeliers while they are swinging. You'll be
keeping Rattleton company."

"Oh, I'm not sick--at least, not seasick," averred Jack.

"Then what ails you? I was going to prescribe ginger ale if it was the
first stage of seasickness. Sometimes that will brace a person up and
straighten out his stomach."