There was a little excitement among the men as the cutter was lowered down, and a couple of small harpoons, two lances, and a little tub containing a hundred yards of fine strong line carefully coiled in rings were handed down, along with three rifles. Jack was looking on deeply interested after going with the doctor and Edward to fetch these and the necessary ammunition from the little museum-like place set apart for them and the magazine. He was so much occupied with the preparations and his eagerness to get back that he did not notice a peculiar cough which was uttered behind him twice. But when it was delivered again with peculiar emphasis close by, and followed by a touch on the arm, he turned sharply round to find Edward looking at him with a most agonised expression of countenance--so bad did the man seem that Jack was startled. "Why, Ned," he cried, "what's the matter? Here, doctor! doctor!" "Hush! don't, sir, pray," whispered the man. "He couldn't do me no good. Don't call him, pray." "But you look horrible," cried Jack. "So would you look horrible, sir, if you was like me." "Then why don't you speak out and tell me? Are you in pain?" "Well, yes, sir, it is pain, and yet it ain't, if you can understand that." "Well, Ned, I can't. Let me fetch Doctor Instow." "No, no, sir, please don't; he'd only laugh at me." "He would not be so unfeeling, I'm sure." "But he couldn't do me no good, sir. Please don't. Nobody but you could do me any good." "What nonsense, Ned! Just because I gave you a seidlitz powder once." "I don't mean powders, sir." "Then what is the matter?" "Oh, sir, you'd be just the same if you was like me. Can't you see?" "No; only that you look rather yellow." "Oh, don't laugh at a fellow, sir. It does seem so hard. Sharks! and me left behind." "That's it, is it?" cried Jack, laughing. "Yes, sir; ain't it bad enough? But I say, sir, it does do a fellow good to see you laugh like that." "Absurd! But I meant you to go, Ned." "Did you, sir?" cried the man joyfully. "Of course. My father said the other night that I was to take you with me everywhere I liked, and have you as my regular attendant." "Did he, sir?" cried the man joyfully. "Think of that now. Well, I was going to ask him to raise my wages, and now I won't. I say, Mr Jack, sir, ain't it a lovely morning?" "I thought it looked rather cloudy just now, Ned," said Jack dryly. "Now, my boy, are you ready?" said Sir John, coming up. "Yes, father, but you're not." "No, I'm not coming this morning. There'll be plenty in the boat without me." "Oh!" ejaculated the lad, "you go, and I'll stay behind." "Certainly not. You'll have the doctor with you." "And Mr Bartlett," said the captain, strolling up. "But you're coming," cried Jack. "No; Bartlett's a better hand at this sort of work than I am. He and Lenny will show you plenty of sport, and help to rid the seas of some of these dangerous brutes. Now then, over with you."