“Dying, say you?”

“Yes, and our object in coming to Europe was chiefly to obtain surgical aid.”

“And have you found a surgeon?”

“Not yet, but we are in hopes of finding one.”

“If money is wanted, besides the value of the cargo I landed for you at the Cape, you may command my purse.”

“A thousand thanks, captain, but the merchandise we have here is likely to be sufficient for our purpose.  Unfortunately, gold is not the only thing that is requisite.”

“What, then?”

“In the first place, a disinterested love of humanity is needful; there are few men of science and skill who would not risk more than they would gain by accepting any offer we can make.  It is not easy to find the heart of a son in the body of a physician.”

“What, then, will you do, my poor friend?”

“That is my secret, captain.”

During this conversation, the missionary had put a thousand questions to Willis and Fritz relative to his father, mother, and sisters, and a smile now and then lit up his features as Fritz related some of the family mishaps.

“You must have undergone some hardships in your voyage from the antipodes to Havre de Grace,” said Littlestone to Jack, “notwithstanding the skill of my friend the Pilot.”

“Yes, captain, a few,” replied Jack.  “I myself made a narrow escape from being killed and eaten by a couple of savages.”

“And how did you escape?”

“Providence interfered at the critical moment.”

“Well, so I should imagine.”

“Our friend the Pilot was more fortunate; he was abducted by the natives of Hawaii; but, instead of converting him into mincemeat, they transformed him into a divinity, bore him along in triumph to a temple, where he was perfumed with incense, and had sacrifices offered up to him.”

“Willis must have felt himself highly honored,” said the captain, smiling.

“These fine things did not, however, last long, for next day they were wound up with a cloud of arrows.”

“And another interposition of Providence?”

“Yes, none of the arrows were winged with death.”

“After that,” remarked Willis, “we fell in with a Yankee cruiser, were taken on board, and carried into the latitude of the Bahamas, where we fell in with Old Flyblow, who, after a tough set-to, sent the Yankee a prize to Bermuda, and took us on board as passengers.”

“And,” added Jack, “whilst we were under protection of the American flag, Willis fell in with a certain Bill Stubbs, who was shot in the fight and died of his wounds.  This trifling accident did not, however, prevent Willis falling in with him alive in Havre.”

“You still seem to delight in paradoxes, Master Jack,” said the captain.

“The English cruiser,” continued Jack, “was afterwards captured by a French corvette, on which it appears you were on board incognito.”