uttering, ill-used tone.
"We'll toddle on now. Needn't be so hard on a fellow. Only just closed
my eyes."

Jack turned his head to the speaker, but Ned had not stirred, and after
a momentary glance in the direction from which the call had come--
evidently the ravine leading down to the sea--he rolled over three
times, and brought himself close enough to touch his companion. But in
the act of turning he felt something move, there was a sharp struggling,
and a snake glided from beneath him hissing angrily, and he turned cold
at the thought that another of the dangerous creatures had been sleeping
coiled up closely to him for warmth.

Worse still, the hissing and rustling had startled those by the fire.
Two malignant heads suddenly started up a few inches, and there was that
peculiar gliding of coils in which the same serpent seems to be going in
several directions at once.

For a few minutes Jack lay perfectly still, feeling as if he were
yielding to that peculiar fear which paralyses in the presence of a
serpent. But he closed his eyes, set his teeth hard, and remained
motionless, mentally combating the sensation of horror and mastered it.
While upon unclosing his eyes and looking in the direction of the fire,
he saw that the coiling and uncoiling had ceased, and the raised heads
had been lowered as if to resume the interrupted sleep.

Jack felt that action was the best safeguard against the horrible,
paralysing sensation, and softly passing his hand along till he could
touch Ned's face, he tapped his cheek sharply.

"Don't!"

He tapped again.

"I'm awake, I tell you. Guv'nors' call?"

"Ned!--Ned!"

"Eh? yes!--all right. That you, Mr Jack?"

"Yes. Hush!" whispered the lad. "Don't move; don't raise a hand.
Listen. Are you quite awake?"

"Yes, sir. What's the matter?"

"We're in danger, Ned."

"Yes, sir, I knew that before I shut my eyes; but it was no use to
holloa about it. What is it now?"

The call was repeated and answered before Jack spoke.

"Oh, that's it, is it, sir?" said Ned quietly. "Pretty creatures.
After us again, eh? Well, if we lie still they won't see us, and--yes--
shadow's rising on the mountain, it will be dark directly. All we've
got to do is to make out which way they go, and then go the other, so
the sooner they show the better for us--I mean before it gets dark.
Such a stupid place too; there ain't no evening, it's dark directly."

"There's more danger, Ned," whis