e
that she came and stood close to me for ever so long, and I think I saw
her back as she went out; and then I quite woke up and lay and listened,
hoping that she would come again."

"I hope it was only a dream, Punch," said Pen; "but I had no business to
go to sleep like that."

"Why not? You waren't on sentry-go; and there was nothing to do."

"I ought to have kept awake."

"No, you oughtn't. I was jolly glad to see you sleep; and I lay here
and thought of what a lot of times you must have kept awake and watched
over me when I was so bad, and--Here, whatcher going to do?"

"Going away till you have done talking nonsense."

"Oh, all right. I won't say no more. You are such a touchy chap.
Don't go away. Give us a drink."

"Ah, now you are talking sense," said Pen, as he made for the shelf upon
which the little wooden vessel stood. "Here, Punch," he said, "you
mustn't drink this. It has turned sour."

"Jolly glad of it. Chuck it away and fetch me a good drink of water.
Only, I say, I'd give it a good rinse out first."

"Yes," said Pen dryly, "I think it would be as well. Now, you don't
think that I should have given you water out of a dirty pail?"

"Well, how should I know?" said the boy querulously. "But, where are
you going to get it from?"

"Out of the pool just below the waterfall."

"Ah, it will be nice and cool from there," said the boy, passing his
tongue over his dry lips. "I was afraid that you might get it from
where the sun had been on it all day."

"Were you?" said Pen, smiling.

"Here, I say, don't grin at a fellow like that," said the boy peevishly.
"You do keep catching a chap up so. Oh, I am so thirsty! It's as if I
had been eating charcoal cinders all day; and my wound's all as hot and
dry as if it was being burnt."

"Yes, I had no business to have been asleep," said Pen. "I'll fetch the
water, and when you have had a good drink I will bathe your wound."

"Ah, do; there's a good chap. But don't keep on in that aggravating
way, saying you oughtn't to have gone to sleep. I wanted you to go to
sleep; and it wasn't a dream about her coming and looking at me while I
was asleep. I dessay my eyes were shut, but I felt somebody come, and
it only aggravates me for you to say nobody did."

"Then I won't say it any more, Punch," cried Pen as he hurried out of
the door. "But you dreamt it, all the same," he continued to himself as
he hurried along the track in the direction of