And poor Watchett was now beginning to think the same of his ship. Like most vessels, the _Battle-Axe_ required a certain number of men to work her easily, and her luck lay in the number allowed being the number necessary. With two hands gone a-missing she would not be much superior to the _Star_ in easiness of handling, and if more went a week of baffling winds now or later, when the north-east trade died out, might give the _Star_ a pull which nothing but an easterly wind from the chops of the Channel to Dover could hope to make up. He began to dance attendance on his crew as if they were patients and he their doctor. And the curious thing was that they all began to feel ill at once, so ill that they could not work in the sun. A certain uneasy terror got hold of them; they dreaded to look over the side, lest in place of an oily sea they should look down on grass and daisies. "Daisies draws a man, and buttercups draws a man," said old Brooks. "Don't," said Crampe, with a snigger. "You make me feel that I must pick buttercups or die." "Do you now?" asked Brooks. "Do you now?" And he sneaked aft to the skipper, who was turning all ways, as if wondering where windward was. "I'm very uneasy about Crampe, sir," he said, with a scrape, as he crawled up the port poop ladder. "'Is mind is set on buttercups." "The deuce it is!" cried Watchett, and going down to the main deck he called Crampe out. "What's this I 'ears about your 'ankering after buttercups?" he demanded, very anxiously. "I _did_ feel as if I'd like to see one, sir," said Crampe. "Don't let me 'ear of it again," began Watchett, angrily, but he pulled himself up with an ill grace. "But there, go in and lie down, and you needn't come on deck in your watch. I can't afford to lose no more mad fools. And you shall have butter instead of buttercups." [Illustration: "YOU SHALL HAVE BUTTER INSTEAD OF BUTTERCUPS."] "And marmalade, sir?" suggested Crampe. "Marmalade's yellow too, as yellow as buttercups." "Say the word agin and I'll knock you flat," said the skipper. But, nevertheless, he sent the whole crowd marmalade and butter at four bells in the first dog-watch. "Hoo, but it iss fine," said "Efan Efans." "Thiss iss goot grup whatefer and moreover, yess!" "They scoffs the like in the _Star_ day in and day out," said Crampe; "if I can't roll on grass I'd like to be in her." And that night both Crampe and Evans disappeared. "I believe I 'eard a splash soon after six bells," said old Brooks. "Mates, this is most 'orrid. I feels as if I should be drawed overboard by a mermaid in spite of myself." And Watchett went raving crazy. Ryder came on board the _Battle-Axe_ as soon as the latest news was signalled to him. Mrs. Ryder declined to go, but she gave him a timely piece of advice. "Don't let him off the bet, Will, or I'll never forgive you." "I won't do that," said her husband, hastily, as if he hadn't been thinking of doing it.