“And round and round?”

“No; not going round, master.”

“But where are we?” said Nic eagerly.

“Ah, that puzzles you, do it, zir? Well, it puzzled me at first, till I asked; and then the doctor zaid we was in the cockpit, but I haven’t heard any battle-cocks crowing, and you can’t zee now, it’s zo dark. Black enough, though, for a pit.”

“Cockpit—cockpit!” said Nic. “Why, that’s on board ship.”

“To be zure.”

“But we are not on board ship?”

“Aren’t we?” said the man.

“I—I don’t understand,” cried Nic after a pause. “My head is all confused and strange. Tell me what it all means.”

Pete Burge was silent.