sn't it?" he continued, as his hand closed firmly upon that of
the half hysterical lad. "You know what that means, don't you?"

"Hah! Yes!" sighed the lad gently; and it sounded to Murray as if a
tremendous weight had been lifted off the poor fellow's breast.

"Then now you can go to sleep, and when you wake up again I hope you
will have forgotten all about it, for that's what I mean to as a matter
of course, and--How rum!" said the lad to himself, for the hand that had
been returning his pressure had slowly slackened its grasp and lay
perfectly inert in his. "Why, he must be asleep! Well, I shall soon
know."

As the lad thought this he loosened his own grasp, and the next minute
was able to slip his fingers away. Directly after he drew back a little
more, and quietly rose from the locker upon which he had been seated
close to his companion's side with his back to the cabin stairs.

Then turning to go up on deck, Murray started to find himself face to
face with the doctor, who had followed the lads down and stepped in
without being heard.

"Asleep?"

Murray pointed to the occupant of the cot without a word, and the doctor
bent low and then drew back.

"That's good," he whispered. "It was a nasty shock for the poor fellow,
but there's nothing for me to do, my lad. A few hours' sleep will quite
set him right. I like this, though, Murray," he continued, laying his
hand upon the lad's shoulder and giving it a friendly grip. "You boys
are thoughtless young dogs sometimes, but this sort of thing shows that
you have got the right stuff in you--the right feeling for one another."

"Oh, I say, doctor, don't!" whispered Murray.

"Not going to, much," said the gentleman addressed. "I'm a rough fellow
sometimes, I know, but I notice a deal, and I like to see a bit of
feeling shown at the right moment. You don't know how it pleases me
when one of our foremast fellows has been laid aside, and I see that a
messmate has sneaked down to keep him company, and take care that he is
not short of tobacco to chew--Hang him for trying to poison a man who
would be far better without it!--Yes, looks as guilty as can be, and
quite shamefaced at having been caught playing the nurse. It shows that
the dog has got the true man in him, Murray, and though I don't let them
see that I notice anything I like it more than you think. There,
Roberts is all right," said the doctor gruffly, "but don't stop here
breathing up the cool air