f'lorn hope if you like, or so
would Billy Wriggs here. P'r'aps he'd do butter, sir, for he's a more
mizz'able-looking chap than me."

Panton smiled.

"It's very good and brave of you, my lad," he said.

"Oh, don't you make no mistake about that, sir," said Smith, shaking his
head. "I'm only a sailor, and not a soger, and not brave at all."

"Speak the truth, Tommy," said Wriggs, in a tone of protest.

"Well, that is the truth, Billy; I ar'n't what you call a brave chap,
and I can't fight a bit till some one hurts me, and then I s'pose I do
let go, 'cause you see I feel nasty and sawage like, but that ar'n't
being brave."

"Don't you believe him, gents," growled Wriggs; "he is a brave chap when
his monkey's up. You can't hold him then."

"Yah, don't talk stuff, my lad," said Smith, bashfully. "How can a chap
be brave as has got two legs as runs away with him as soon as he's
scared?"

"Hush!" whispered Drew, "we are talking too loudly. Look here, Lane,
and you, Panton: we had better wait for the darkness, and then take our
chance of making a dash for the brig."

"And spend all these weary hours in this heat without water. It would
be horrible."

"Lie down, and try and pass the time in sleep, while we watch."

"She's at it again, sir," whispered Wriggs, with bated breath, as he
made a clutch at his messmate and held on tightly, for a curious heaving
sensation, as of a wave passing beneath them, was felt, followed by a
deep booming roar from northward.

"Ay," whispered Smith, "and if she'd suck one o' them big waves ashore
and make a clean sweep o' these charcoal chaps, she'd be doing some
good."

"That's so, messmate," growled Wriggs, "for black-skins as can't live in
a beautiful country without wantin' to kill and eat their neighbours,
oughtn't to be 'lowed to live at all, that's what I says about them.
Here, hold tight!"

He set the example by throwing his arms about a young tree, for there
was a peculiar rushing sound as the earth quivered and the trees of the
forest bent over and seemed as if stricken by some tremendous blast,
though all the time there was not a breath of air.

Then they became conscious of a black cloud rising over the forest
beyond the clearing, as if the precursor of some fresh eruption.

"I say, Billy," whispered Smith, "oughtn't this here to scare them
sawages?"

"I should say so," replied the other; "all I know is that it scares me."

"Hist--hist!" whispered Drew, a