ruth must be told--
with his mouth open, and a very unpleasant noise arising therefrom.

Vain hope of rest. Even as he threw himself back, a little many-legged
creature, about two inches long, was industriously making its way over
the deck towards where one of the middy's limbs lay outstretched, and in
a few seconds it had mounted his shoe, examined it with a pair of long
thin antenna, and then given the leather a pinch with a pair of hooked
claws at its tail.

Apparently dissatisfied, the long thin yellow insect ran on to the
sleeper's sock, carefully examined its texture, tasted it with its tail,
and still not satisfied, proceeded to walk up one of the very wide open
duck trouser legs, that must have been to it like the entrance to some
grand tunnel, temptingly inviting investigation.

The insect disappeared; Bob snored, and there was the loud buzzing
murmur of men's voices, talking drowsily together, when, as if suddenly
electrified, Bob leaped up with a sharp cry, slapped his leg vigorously,
and stood shaking his trousers till the long thin insect tumbled on to
the white deck, and was duly crushed.

"Scissors! how it stings!" cried Bob, rubbing the place. "O Lor'! what
a place this is to be sure. Who the dickens can get a nod?"

Bob Roberts was determined upon having one evidently, for having given
the obnoxious remains another stamp, he took a look round, to see if any
other pest, winged or legged, had been brought from the shore, and
seeing nothing, he again settled himself down, gave a turn or two and a
twist to get himself comfortable, ending by sitting with his legs
stretched straight out, his head thrown back, and his nose pointed
straight up at the awning.

This time Bob went off fast asleep; his cap fell on to the deck, but it
did not disturb him; and he was evidently making up for lost time, when
a very industrious spider, who had made his home in the awning, came
boldly out of a fold by a seam of the canvas, and with busy legs
proceeded to examine the state and tension of some threads, which it had
previously stretched as the basis of a web upon a geometrical plan,
expressly to catch mosquitoes.

Apparently satisfied, the spider set to work busily, its dark, heavy
body showing plainly against the yellowish canvas; and in a very short
time a main rope was attached to the roof, and the architect of fly-nets
began slowly to descend, in search of a point to which the other end of
the said main-stay