hing out to the
horizon grew to be of a dull leaden grey, which gradually became silvery
with a peculiar sheen, and then all at once there was the tiny fiery
spot high up to the right above where the reef encircled the island,
which was too distant now, after the night's steady glide away upon the
current, for the breakers to be heard.

"Will he live to see the sun rise once more?" thought the boy, as the
silvery sheen grew brighter on the surface of the sea, and then he
started, and a great dread came upon him, for he felt that the time had
come, for a faint voice said--

"Is that you, Mr Jack?"

Jack's first thought was to call the doctor from the deck, but he did
not, he stepped quickly to the couch.

"I thought it was your back, sir. I've been watching you ever so long.
I say, hadn't you better have the lamp lit, and let some of 'em carry me
to my berth?"

"The lamp lit, Ned?" faltered Jack, with his heart fluttering the while.

"Yes, sir; it'll be quite dark directly."

"Yes," thought the lad, with a pang of misery shooting through him as he
realised that after all this man was a friend that he could not afford
to lose, "it will be quite dark directly."

"I'd go and fetch one, sir, but I don't feel up to it. I should go down
on my nose if I tried to stand; and," he continued, laughing weakly,
"smash the glass shade."

"Ned!" cried Jack, catching his hand, which closed upon it tightly.

"Have I been lying here all the afternoon, sir?"

"Yes--yes," sighed Jack, and he tried to withdraw his hand so as to call
for help; but Ned clung to it tightly.

"What a shame! Upsetting everybody, and turning the gentlemen out of
their place. I say, you can't have had dinner here, sir."

"No, Ned."

"'Shamed of myself. I don't know how time's gone. Been asleep.
Dreaming like mad, and--Heigho! ha--hum! Hark at that, sir, for a yawn.
Never put my hand before my mouth. I say, what about the niggers?"

"We are far out at sea, Ned," whispered Jack.

"Good job. I don't know though. I hope we shall go and give 'em an
awful thrashing. We didn't interfere with them. Coming and shotting
their arrows at us behind our backs. I say, Mr Jack, don't you get one
in you. My word, how it does make you dream--all the awfullest nonsense
you could imagine. I should like to tell you, but it's all mixed up so.
I say, I fainted, didn't I?"

"Yes."

"I remember; up there in the wood. I felt myself going like a great