oo sleepy to speculate long upon their own thoughtlessness;
and one after the other, imitating the example set them by the young
Scotchman, laid their bodies lengthwise along the bottom of the ravine,
and entered upon the enjoyment of a slumber from which all the
kettle-drums in creation would scarce have awaked them.

CHAPTER TEN.

'WARE THE SAND.

As the gully in which they had gone to rest was too narrow to permit of
them lying side by side, they were disposed in a sort of lengthened
chain, with their heads all turned in the same direction. The bottom of
the ravine, as already stated, had a slight inclination; and they had,
of course, placed themselves so that their heads should be higher than
their feet.

The old sailor was at the lower end of this singular series, with the
feet of Harry Blount just above the crown of his head. Above the head
of Harry were the heels of Terence O'Connor; and, at the top of all,
reclined Colin, in the place where he had first stretched himself.

On account of the slope of the ground, the four were thus disposed in a
sort of _echelon_ formation, of which Old Bill was the base. They had
dropped into their respective positions, one after the other, as they
lay.

The sailor had been the last to commit himself to this curious couch; he
was also the last to surrender to sleep. For some time after the others
had become unconscious of outward impressions, he lay listening to the
"sough" of the sea, and the sighing of the breeze, as it blew along the
smooth sides of the sand-hills.

He did not remain awake for any great length of time. He was wearied,
as well as his young comrades; and soon also yielded his spirit to the
embrace of the god Somnus.

Before doing so, however, he had made an observation, one of a character
not likely to escape the notice of an old mariner such as he. He had
become conscious that a storm was brewing in the sky. The sudden
shadowing of the heavens; the complete disappearance of the moon,
leaving even the white landscape in darkness, her red colour as she went
out of sight; the increased noise caused by the roaring of the breakers;
and the louder "swishing" of the wind itself, which began to blow in
quick, gusty puffs; all these sights and sounds admonished him that a
gale was coming on.

He instinctively noted these signs; and on board ship would have heeded
them, so far as to have alarmed the sleeping watch, and counselled
precaution.

But