"The chief officer came aft towards the binnacle again, with a strut in his gait, and more full of importance than ever, of course. 'This breeze'll hold, I think, Macleod?' said he to the second mate, who was shuffling about in a lounging, unseamanlike way he had, as if he felt uncomfortable on the quarter-deck, and both hands in his jacket pockets. 'Well,' said the Scotchman, 'do ye not think it's too early begun, sir?' and he looked about like an old owl, winking against the glare of light past the mainsheet to larboard; 'I'll not say but it will, though,' continued he, 'but 'odsake, sir, it's terrible warm!' 'Can't be long ere we get into Cape Town now,' said the mate, 'so you'll turn the men on deck as soon as breakfast's over, Mr Macleod, and commence giving her a coat of paint outside, sir.' 'Exactly, Mr Finch,' said the other, 'all hands it'll be, sir? For any sake, Mr Finch, give they lazy scoundrels something to do!' 'Yes, all hands,' said Finch; and he was going below, when the second mate sidled up to him again, as if he had something particular to say. 'The captain'll be quite better by this time, no doubt, Mr Finch?' asked he. '_Well_--d' ye mean?' inquired the mate, rather shortly; 'why no, sir, when the surgeon saw him in the morning watch, he said it was a fever, and the sooner we saw the Cape the better for him.' 'No doubt, no doubt, sir,' said the second mate, thoughtfully, putting his forefinger up his twisted nose, which I noticed he did in such cases, as if the twist had to do with his memory--'no doubt, sir, that's just it! The doctor's a sharp Edinbro' lad--did he see aucht by common about the captain, sir?' 'No,' said Finch, 'except that he wanted to go on deck this morning, and the surgeon took away his clothes and left the door locked.' 'Did he, though?' asked Macleod, shaking his head, and looking a little anxious; 'didna he ask for aucht in particular, sir?' 'Not that I heard of, Mr Macleod,' replied the mate; 'what do you mean?' 'Did he not ask for a green leaf?' replied the second mate. 'Pooh,' said Finch, 'what if he did?' 'Well, sir,' said Macleod, 'neither you nor the doctor's sailed five voyages with the captain, like me. He's a quiet man, Captain Weelumson, an' well he knows his calling; but sometimes warm weather doesn't do with him, more especial siccan warm weather as this, when the moon's full, as it is the night, ye know, Mr Finch. There's something else besides that, though, when he's taken that way.' 'Well, what is it?' asked the mate, carelessly. 'Oo!' said Macleod, 'it can't be _that_ this time, of course, sir--it's when he's near the _land_! The captain knows the smell of it, these times, Mr Finch, as well as a cockroach does--an' it's then he asks for a green leaf, and wants to go straight ashore--I mind he did it the voy'ge before last, sir. He's a quiet man, the captain, as I said, for ord'nar'--but when he's roused, he's a----' 'Why, what was the