illness and the terrors of his position.

Lifting him to his feet, they bound him to the topmast ratlines so that
his feet rested on the little platform. As they came down one said to
the other:

"He ain't shamming. The lad is sick enough for a doctor, that's what
'e is, mate."

"Shet up," quoth his companion. "Let the captain hear you and he'll
put you on bread and water for three days, if no worse comes. Every
tub stands on its own bottom in this craft."

Meanwhile Neb had served breakfast in the cabin. Gary and Rucker went
down, Duff taking the first mate's place.

This was the second mate's first voyage with Captain Gary, and he
furtively sympathized with Ralph, but such is the force of discipline
on shipboard that he dared not show his feelings openly.

"It's a burning shame," thought he, "to punish a land lubber of a boy
the first day he ever spent at sea. Sugar wouldn't melt in Gary's
mouth when I went to him for a job, but now the tune is changed. And
to cap all, nobody seems to know where we're bound, unless it may be
Rucker. The crew know nothing, except that we're provisioned for a
long voyage, with a lot of stuff locked up in the hold as no one has
seen yet."

He glanced up at the helpless boy, then shook his head.