Dick!" he thought, as if in a flash. "We were always
quarrelling, and he was horribly jealous of me; but I liked him, and I'd
do anything to save him. But he'll never know, for the brutes will kill
him in his sleep. Poor Billy Titely the same. But Tom May must be
ready to fight for his life, and he'll pay out some of the butchers, and
I shall help him _too_, though I haven't got his strength. Why don't I
spring up before they come?"

It seemed curiously misty and dream-like to him, and he fully realised
that something must be wrong, as he seemed to fight hard to answer that
question; but so far from replying to the mental query, and springing up
to help his brave companion, he could not move, till he was roused into
a state of action by the touch of the big sailor's foot, which did not
come in a heavy kick this time, but in steady pressure.

Murray drew a slow, deep breath, and instead of starting up he softly
turned his head sidewise till he could peer with one eye through the
bushes, and see that the crew of ruffians had turned off to the right
and were slowly and cautiously passing away.

So far Murray felt the murderous wretches had not seen them, but as he
knew that the slightest movement on the part of the sleepers, or a
muttered word, would bring them to their side, he lay quivering and
trying involuntarily to press himself deeper into the soft earth for
some minutes, clinging to hope, till once more the intensity of the
strain was broken by a sharp clear snap which sounded awfully loud, and
he started up, resting upon his right elbow, and gazed, not upon the
fiercely savage face of one of the enemies, but upon the big, frank,
apologetic countenance of Tom May, who was in precisely the same
attitude.

"Who'd have thought it?" he whispered. "But they didn't hear."

"Oh, Tom," replied the lad, hardly above his breath, "how you frightened
me!"

"Frightened you, sir?" chuckled the big fellow, with his face expanding
into a grin. "Why, it frightened me."

"What was it?" whispered Murray, pressing his left hand upon his
throbbing breast.

"This here, sir," replied the man, holding up a round brass tobacco-box.
"Thought I'd take a quid just to put a bit o' life into me, and as soon
as I'd got it I shut up the lid, and it went off like a pistol."

"But do you feel sure they didn't hear?"

"Oh, there's no doubt about that, sir. There they go, and we're all
right so long as none of 'em looks round, and