Jack at Sea | Page 6

South Pole; tropics. Start free from all
trammels, open new ground away from the regular beaten tracks. You
don't want to go by line steamers to regular ports. Get a big
ocean-going yacht, and sail round the world. Here, what are you
grinning at, patient?"
"At your idea, sir. It is so wild."
"Wild to you, sir, because you are so tame. It may have seemed a little
wild for Captain Cook and Bougainville and the old Dutch navigators,
with their poor appliances and ignorance of what there was beyond the

seas. Wild too for Columbus; but wild now! Bah! I'm ashamed of you."
"You must recollect that Jack is no sailor," said Sir John, interposing.
"He was very ill when we crossed to Calais."
"Iii! A bit sea-sick. That's nothing."
"I am not sailor enough to manage a yacht."
"What of that? Charter a good vessel, and get a clever captain and
mate, and the best crew that can be picked. You can afford it, and to do
it well, and relieve yourself of all anxieties, so as to be free both of you
to enjoy your cruise."
"Enjoy!" said Jack piteously.
"But the responsibility?" said Sir John thoughtfully. "I should like it
vastly. But to take a sick lad to sea? Suppose he were taken worse?"
"Couldn't be."
"Don't exaggerate, doctor. Fancy us away from all civilised help, and
Jack growing far weaker--no medical advice."
"I tell you he would grow stronger every day. Well, take a few boxes of
pills with you; fish for cod, and make your own cod-liver oil, and make
him drink it--oil to trim the lamp of his waning life and make it burn.
He won't want anything of the kind--rest for his brain and change are
his medicines."
"I dare not risk it," said Sir John sadly, and Jack's face began to light
up.
"Well then, if you must do something foolish, take a doctor with you."
"Ah, but how to get the right man?"
"Pooh! Hundreds would jump at the chance."

Jack sighed, and looked from one to the other, while Sir John gazed
hard at the doctor, who said merrily--
"There, don't sit trying to bring up difficulties where there is nothing
that cannot be surmounted. What have you got hold of now?"
"I have not got hold of him. I am only trying to do so."
"What do you mean?"
"The doctor. Will you go with us, Instow?"
"I?" cried Doctor Instow, staring. "Only too glad of the chance. I'm
sick of spending all my days in the sordid practice of trying to make
money, when the world teems with wonders one would like to try and
investigate. If I did not know that I was doing some little good amongst
my fellow-creatures, my life would be unbearable, and I would have
thrown it all up long ago."
"Then if I decide to follow out your advice, you will come with us?"
"No," said the doctor firmly; "it would not do."
Jack brightened up again.
"Why would it not do?" said Sir John anxiously. "The plan is excellent,
and I am most grateful to you for the suggestion. Come with us, Instow,
for I certainly will go."
Jack groaned.
"Look at him," cried the doctor. "There's spirit. The sooner you get to
sea the better."
"Yes, I have decided upon it, if you will come."
"No, no; impossible."
"Because of leaving your practice?"

"Oh no; I could arrange that by having a locum tenens--`local demon'
as the servant-girl in Punch called him."
"Then what objection is there?"
"Why, it's just as if I had been planning a pleasure-trip for myself at
your expense."
"That's absurd, Instow, and an insult to an old friend. Look here, if you
will come I shall look upon it as conferring a great favour upon us. We
shall both be under a greater obligation to you than ever."
"I say, don't tempt me, Meadows. I'm not a bad doctor, but I'm a very
weak man."
"But I will tempt you," cried Sir John eagerly. "Come, you can't let
your old friend go without a companion, and stop here at home,
knowing that there will be times when you could help Jack there on his
way to health and strength."
"No, I can't--can I?" said the doctor, hesitating. "But no, no, it wouldn't
do."
"Here, Jack, come and help me press him to go with us."
"I can't, father; oh, I can't," cried the boy despairingly.
"Oh, that settles it!" said Doctor Instow, jumping up. "You've done it
now, Jack. You're worse than I thought."
"Then you will come?" cried Sir John, holding out his hand.
"I will," cried the doctor, "wherever you like to go;" and he brought
down his hand with a sounding slap into his