n was watching
him with the dumb patience of a dog.

"That you, Jackum?" he said, softly, and he stretched out his hand, to
find it touched the black's rough head, which seemed to press itself
into his palm.

"Iss. Jackum eat big lot. 'Top here now. Car-ee go sleep."

The boy sighed, and then there was silence till he spoke again.

"Will the black fellows come back soon?" he said, as he thought of the
idea he had had about keeping them off.

"No come back. Go sleep roun' fire. 'Top all snakum eatum."

Twice over it seemed to Carey that he lost consciousness, though he
never went fairly off to sleep, but sat there suffering terrible mental
pain and the burning sensation in his chest as if he were being seared
with a hot iron.

The night seemed as if it would never come to an end. Mallam had begun
muttering hoarse threats again, and at last startled all into
preparation for action by firing three times, each shot striking some
place on the upper part of the staircase, and once shivering some glass.

Then he became quiet again, and it seemed directly after that Bostock
said:

"The blacks' fire's out, sir, and the stars are beginning to get
whitish. Be sunrise in less than an hour. I'll go and light our fire
now, and as soon as the kettle boils I'll make you a cup of tea."

"Thank you, Bob," said Carey, huskily. "I shall be glad of that."

It seemed a long time to one suffering from a parched throat, and the
pale light of dawn was beginning to steal in through the broken opening
and the cabin ports, when there was the click of a teacup on the deck,
and Jackum said softly:

"Cookey make billy boil. Car-ee tea."

_Crash_!

Down went the tray with the refreshing cup on the deck, and Bostock
thrust his head through the broken light.

"Master Carey, sir, ahoy! Three cheers, and another for luck. If ever
there was a sight for sore eyes it's now. Sail ho, sir, not three mile
out, lying just beyond the reef. A small steamer, dear lad, as must ha'
seen the fire last night."

"Help at last!" panted Carey.

"Ay, my lad, they've kept their fires banked up, and the smoke's pouring
out of her funnel and hanging to leeward like a flag."

"Iss. Ship come," said Jackum, who had bounded up and inspected the
vessel. "Jackum fess all aboy. Car-ee going fight him?"

"No, no," cried the boy; "they must be friends," and, utterly worn out
now, he broke down and hid his face.

"Don't do that, dear lad," wh