s, very likely, Tom. Capital!"

"Yes, sir; it don't seem so bad now we come to think of it. See-saw
knows all about these parts, sir, and it would be a pity for him to come
to find us, and walk into this patch of trees and find as we'd gone."

"Yes, of course, Tom. Then you think that our wisest plan would be to
lie here and wait for a few hours at all events and see what turns up?"

"That's it exactly, sir."

"Then that's what we'll do, Tom."

"Thankye, sir."

"Why do you say that, Tom?"

"Oh, 'cause you said what we'd do."

"Of course."

"Yes, sir, but some young gents--Mr Roberts there, for instance--would
ha' thought he knowed best and wouldn't have listened to a bit of
advice. Pst! Don't you hear some un coming along, making the trees
rustle and crackle a bit?"

Murray listened eagerly, before turning to the big sailor again.

"No. Your ears are better than mine, Tom."

The middy had hardly ceased speaking before there was a heavy burst of
coarse laughter, and then several voices came from some little distance
away, while as the listeners crouched together and drew their cutlasses,
after Tom May had raised the pan of his musket and closed it again,
satisfied that the priming was correct, the pair gazed in each other's
eyes, for Roberts started and turned uneasily, waking the wounded
sailor, who began to talk aloud and incoherently about manning a boat
and getting ashore.

"What's to be done, Tom?" whispered Murray; and as he spoke he loosened
the knot of his neckerchief and slipped it off, to hold it to the big
sailor.

"Right, sir. Can't do better than that." And taking the silk kerchief,
Tom began to crawl close to where the man's voice was sinking to a low
muttering, the poor fellow being perfectly unconscious of the fact that
his messmate was leaning over him ready to use the silken tie as a gag
and thrust it between his teeth if he went on talking and the enemy drew
near.

Fortunately it seemed as if all the mutterings were about to die out,
and though coarse mirth was on the increase, and the party of searchers
were drawing nearer, it appeared to Murray that the rough means of
quieting the wounded man would not be called into service, when all at
once, when the peril of being discovered was growing to be more grave,
Roberts started as if from pain, and threw out his arms sharply,
striking Titely upon the side of the head.

It was not sufficient to cause pain, but the poor fellow's