the mate tried not to smile at the nervous passenger's fears.

"Then if you say so I'll go and take this life-preserver off. It
is quite heavy."

"Do so by all means. The young rascal," added the mate under his
breath as he thought of Bob. "I'll have to teach him a lesson."

Bob was not a little alarmed at the result of his thoughtless
prank. He did not know what the captain might do to punish him,
and in the future he resolved to restrain his impulses.

"Maybe he'll send me home by some passing ship," the boy thought,
"and I wouldn't like that a bit."

The weather was fine for the next few days. The _Eagle_ continued
on her way south, the climate getting warmer and warmer as they
approached the equator. Bob meanwhile had learned much about the
ship and the manner of sailing it. He got the names of the various
ropes and sails by heart, and it would have taken a pretty
ingenious sailor to have sent him on a foolish errand now after
some part of the ship's gear. Captain Spark was encouraged by
Bob's behavior, and began to think the voyage was doing the lad
good. So it was, but the cure was not complete, as you shall see.

Mr. Tarbill resented Bob's joke, and had not spoken to the boy
since the "whale" incident. But Bob did not mind this. There was
plenty to keep him occupied, with his duties to perform and
sailors' stories to listen to.