us fluid back. A hoarse groan escaped from Syd's throat, and he
struggled hard to think of what it all meant, while the mental confusion
and insensibility grew upon him as he lay face downward on the burning
rock, staring at that imaginary black cloud.

"Water--water!" Who said water? It was not Strake, but this wild-eyed,
fierce man, whose fingers were pressed into his arm.

Yes, he knew that now, and the burning sun shone through the black cloud
again. Water--yes, he had come to get the water, and he began once more
to crawl on toward the rope-ladder below the gun, with the boatswain and
Rogers hunting him, and nearly as feeble as he, pursuing him with their
harsh repetition of that one word--_water_!

At last close to the edge of the rocky platform with the gun above him
on his right, straight before and below him the rope-ladder fixed to a
great mass of rock, and down there the natural pier, with the beautiful
clear blue sea flooding it, and looking so calm and tempting. If he
could reach that and lie and let the waves flow over him, how pleasant
and refreshing it would be! No more pain or suffering, only rest and
sleep.

He felt a thrill of horror run through him like a spasm of pain, and he
shrank away, for there above the clear water was gliding the triangular
back fin of a shark--two--three, and one monster's long, black, rounded
muzzle rose up; the creature curved over and dived down under one of its
fellows, showing its soft white under-parts, and telling the miserable
being on the rock above that it was no peaceful sleep he would find
there, but an end of unutterable horror.

That spasm of dread seemed to clear Syd's mind for the moment, as he
drew himself back a little just as Strake gripped his shoulder again,
and Rogers uttered the one word in a harsh snarl--

"Water!"

For the moment Syd's head was clear, and he knew why he was there. His
lips parted to speak, but only a harsh sound came, and the black cloud
began to loom over him. But he had the momentary strength which enabled
him to fight it back, and raising his left arm he pointed along the
ridge of tumbled rocks full of rifts and hollows toward where on the day
of the accident he had been struggling back, when Rogers had climbed up
to his side.

"Water!" gasped the man, showing his teeth like some savage beast, and
his eyes glared wild and bloodshot at his young officer.

Again Syd tried to speak, but only that harsh sound came; an