"Without rising, this gentleman greeted Breeze with, “Ah, pleased awfully! Have a weed?” “No, I thank you,” replied Breeze, who could hardly help laughing. “I have not learned to smoke yet.” “Ah, good boy! Advise you not to. Beastly habit. Rough on the constitution.” “Oh, Whyte! Whyte!” laughed his friend. “If you would only practise the half of what you preach, what a fine fellow you would become!” “Yes,” replied the other, “I fancy my theory is very nearly perfect, but it is really too much of a grind, don’t you know, to put it into practice. I’d rather let some other chap do that.” This was a fair example of Mr. Whyte Whymper’s character. He was good-natured, easy-going, blessed with most excellent mental and physical qualities, but was too indolent to improve either the one or the other. He was not exactly the companion the owner of the _Saga_ would have chosen for this northern trip, but several other friends had disappointed him at the last moment, and he was obliged to make the best of the one who was at liberty, and willing to accompany him. “Well, McCloud,” said Lord Seabright, after a few moments’ pleasant chat that served to make the boy feel quite at home, “sit down and tell us how you and your black friend happened to get lost, and to be drifting about on the open sea in that queer-looking craft of yours. It strikes me that you were in a pretty nasty position, and I’m curious to hear about it.” Although Breeze confined his story to his experiences while on the _Fish-hawk_, and after leaving her, his hearers were much interested in what he had to tell them. They seemed to consider it a very plucky thing for a small schooner, such as he described, to cross the Atlantic for the purpose of fishing in those stormy northern seas, and they asked him many questions in regard to the American methods of fishing. “What do you expect to do, now that you have lost your schooner?” asked Lord Seabright, at length. “I don’t know, sir,” replied Breeze. “If I knew of any way to find her again I’d try it; but I can’t seem to think of any.” “Neither can I, and I don’t see that there is anything for you to do but to come with us to Reykjavik and see what offers when you get there. Perhaps there will be some vessel in port bound for America, on which you can engage a passage.” “Well, sir,” said Breeze, “I suppose that will be the best thing for us to do, and we’ll be very glad to work our passage if you’ll let us. Nimbus is a good cook, and as yours got drowned, perhaps you can make him useful in that way. I am willing to do anything I can. At any rate,” he added, brightening at the thought, “if you’d take ambergris, we might pay for our passage in that.” Both the gentlemen were highly amused at this suggestion, and as soon as he could control his voice, Lord Seabright said,