could not tell, only that he was there, and that his mother would be in
a horrible state of dread.

This impressed him so strongly that he was about to start off in a vain
effort to find the boat, but his better sense prevailed, and he remained
where he was, wondering whether it would be possible to pass the night
like that, and, in spite of himself, feeling no little dread of the
weird sounds which seemed to come nearer and nearer.

Then the feeling of dread increased, for, though he could see nothing,
certain noises he heard suggested themselves as being caused by strange
creatures--dwellers in the fen--coming nearer to watch him, and among
them he fancied that there were huge eels fresh from the black slime,
crawling out of the water, and winding themselves like serpents in and
out among the rough grass and heath to get at him and fix their strong
jaws upon his legs.

Then little four-footed, sharp-teethed creatures appeared to be creeping
about in companies, rushing here and there, while whittricks and rats
were waiting till he dropped asleep to leap upon him and bite him,
tearing out little pieces of his flesh.

His imagination was so active that his face grew wet with horror, till,
making an effort over himself, he started right up and angrily stamped
his foot.

"I didn't think I was such a coward," he said half aloud; and then, "I
hope poor mother will not be very much alarmed, and I wish Tom
Tallington was here!"

The wish was so selfishly comic that he laughed and felt better, for now
a new idea came to him.

It was very dark, but the nights were at their shortest now, and it
would be daybreak before three--at least so light that he might venture
to try and regain the boat.

He stood for a while listening to the noises in the fen; the whispering
and chattering, piping and croaking, with the loud splashings and
rustlings among the reeds, mingled with the quacking of ducks and the
scuttering of the drakes, while every now and then the bittern uttered
his hoarse wild roar.

Then, growing weary, he sat down again, and after a time he must have
dropped asleep, for he rose feeling quite startled, and stood staring as
a peculiarly soft lambent light shone here and there before him.

It was apparently about fifty yards away, and looked like nothing which
he had ever seen, for when he had noticed this light before it had
always been much farther away.

He knew it was the marsh light, but somehow it seemed