xed bayonet, seeing at the same moment that it was Private Sim.

He was about to kick the fellow, but he thought that by so doing he
should be spreading the alarm, perhaps prematurely; so he walked
cautiously forward towards where the whispering seemed to be.

It was so dark amidst the trees that he could hardly make out his
position; but directly after it seemed to him that the sounds came from
an upper window; and as the thought struck him he stepped upon a piece
of dry cane, which snapped beneath his feet.

To bring his rifle to the present was the work of an instant; and as he
did so a quick voice exclaimed,--"Who is there? Is that the sentry?"

"Yes, ma'am," he replied; feeling the blood tingle in his face, as he
recognised the voice.

"We thought we heard the hard breathing of some beast, or some one
asleep," said Rachel Linton, with her voice shaking a little as she
spoke, "and we were afraid."

"There was--there is some one asleep here, ma'am;" said Gray, trying to
speak calmly and quietly; "but I am on duty now."

"It is Private Gray, Rachel, whom you attended to," said another voice.
"Let us go in now, we shall be quite safe."

"Yes," said Rachel, in a low voice, meant only for herself; but heard
plainly in the utter silence of that night, "we shall be quite safe
now."

"Good-night, sentry," said Mary Sinclair.

"Good-night, ma'am," replied Gray; and he stood and heard the shutter
blind closed, with a bitter feeling of annoyance at his heart.

"My name seems to have driven her away," he muttered. "At any rate,
though, I am of some use," he said soon after; "she feels safe when I am
by."

All was perfectly still now, except the heavy breathing of Private Sim;
and Gray stood thinking what he should do.

Should he wake up Sim?

No; if he did, he would have to leave him on duty, when he would go to
sleep again, and something horrible might happen.

What was to happen? he asked himself.

That, he could not say; but on one thing he determined at once, and that
was, to take Private Sim's place and to keep guard.

But then Sim's lapse of duty would be found out, and he would be
severely punished.

Richly he deserved it; but perhaps a severe taking to task might suffice
to awaken him to a sense of his duty; and therefore Gray felt that he
would be lenient, and not betray him, though it was horrible to think
that the lives of all on the island might be betrayed to death by the
neglect of such a