rs' cessation of hostilities in the hope of lulling us into a feeling
of false security, and thus making us the victims of an easy, yet well-
executed surprise. The more I thought about the matter the more
probable did this course of action appear; and at last I resolved to put
it to the test by dividing the men into watches and allowing them an
hour's sleep at a time.

But before doing this I thought I would repeat my experiment of the
previous night and endeavour to secure a little more water, and this I
did with such signal success that we actually refilled all our breakers,
besides giving every man an opportunity to completely slake his thirst.

It was just eight o'clock p.m. by the time that we had completed our
preparations, and I then made half the men lie down, which they did,
falling instantly asleep. This of course necessitated increased
vigilance on the part of the watchers, each of whom had to guard a
double length of parapet; but the first hour passed peacefully away, and
the sleepers were awakened in order that we might have our turn. It was
really amusing, notwithstanding the gravity of our situation, to hear
each man protest as he sat up and rubbed his eyes that we had not
treated them fairly, and that they had only that moment fallen asleep.
But when assured to the contrary they roused up at once, and I was
greatly gratified to see that, short as had been their period of rest,
it had undoubtedly done them a world of good. The "watch on deck" was
placed under the command of the man Tom who had done such good service
with the carronade on board the cutter, he being, in my opinion, the
most trustworthy man in the party; and giving him the most stringent
orders to keep a bright look-out, to fire at once and unhesitatingly on
any moving object which might make its appearance, and to call me in the
event of anything taking place out of the common, I flung myself upon
the ground with my back to the sod parapet, and in the act of folding my
arms across my chest fell asleep.

To be cruelly awakened the next instant, almost before I had had time to
fully realise the blessedness of the gift of sleep.

"Well, Tom, what is it? Has the enemy hove in sight!" I exclaimed
pettishly, rubbing away at my eyes to force them open.

"No, sir; everything's still quiet, thank God."

"Then what did you wake me for, in Heaven's name!"

"Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the
exasperating