whist, music, and brandy and water, the sultry evenings passed away
with a rapidity of which the wild beasts 'tween decks, cooped by sixes
in berths of a mere five feet square, had no conception.

On this particular evening, however, the cuddy was dull.
Dinner fell flat, and conversation languished.

"No signs of a breeze, Mr. Best?" asked Blunt, as the first officer
came in and took his seat.

"None, sir."

"These--he, he!--awful calms," says Mrs. Vickers. "A week, is it not,
Captain Blunt?"

"Thirteen days, mum," growled Blunt.

"I remember, off the Coromandel coast," put in cheerful Pine,
"when we had the plague in the Rattlesnake--"

"Captain Vickers, another glass of wine?" cried Blunt,
hastening to cut the anecdote short.

"Thank you, no more. I have the headache."

"Headache--um--don't wonder at it, going down among those fellows.
It is infamous the way they crowd these ships. Here we have
over two hundred souls on board, and not boat room for half of 'em."

"Two hundred souls! Surely not," says Vickers. "By the King's Regulations--"