cle, while the lad's anxiety about his wounded comrade was always
alleviated when a halt was made by the comforting whispered assurance
from Caesar after an examination.

"Massa sailor Roberts fas' 'sleep. No know nothing at all."

There were times, though, when at one of their many halts Murray's heart
sank very low, for generally when all was silent save for some strange
cry of night bird, croak of reptile, or weird whirr of insect that
seemed to be magnified in power by the heated misty air, the black's
fingers would tighten upon the lad's arm with spasmodic suddenness, in
company with what seemed to be the piercing humming trumpet of a
mosquito. Twice over Murray as he toiled on in the black darkness took
it for granted that the black had stopped short to avoid being bitten or
stung, but only to find afterwards that the sound came with perfect
realism from the black's lips, being his warning to his big companion to
halt while he reconnoitred as to the position of the enemy.

And now a fresh direction would be taken, or more than once it seemed to
Murray that they completely retraced their steps; but after a time a
feeling of dullness akin to despair came over the lad, and he resigned
himself to his fate, satisfying himself that Roberts was being carefully
carried, and then plodding on and on, plunging as it seemed to him in a
state of torpidity or stupid sleep in which he kept on dreaming about
the ship and the boats and going through various adventures at sea.

Then he would start awake with a strange suddenness, feeling as if his
conscience had pricked him for his drowsiness and neglect, and he would
begin to tremble with anxiety, for he felt that he must have spoken
aloud just at a time when they were near their pursuers, and so have
betrayed their whereabouts.

Thoroughly wakened then, Murray found that they were motionless with his
black companions listening, while Caesar's fingers were pressing his arm
very tightly.

"No speak," he whispered; and the man's breath came hot into his ear.
"Huggins fellow chap everywhere. No catchee."

Murray's brain was closing up again, so it seemed to him, back into a
deep sleep, and he remembered afterwards that during the latter part of
that night he woke up from time to time when Caesar pinched his arm for
him to stop, but directly the journey was continued he dropped asleep
again.

Then it seemed to the middy that he must have been asleep an immensely
long time,