till hands were touching him,
and he felt himself lifted up till his chest was reaching over the edge
of something hard, and directly after there was cold delicious water at
his lips, water that he tried to drink, but which only entered by his
nostrils, and he gasped and choked, as it seemed suddenly to have turned
to boiling lead.

But the water was at his lips again, and this time, though it was almost
agony, he drew in one great draught of the cool, sweet fluid, and then
felt himself lifted and thrown roughly aside, to lie panting on the
rock, and watching, with his senses returning fast, the acts of the man
by him, who was bending over Strake, where the boatswain lay staring,
and with his black lips apart, apparently dead.

The man was Rogers--he recognised him now--and he saw him dip one
hollowed hand into the bucket and let the water he scooped out trickle
slowly between the boatswain's parted lips. Then he stopped quickly,
and took a quick deep draught himself--a draught which gave him strength
to go on trickling more of the fluid between the apparently dead man's
lips before turning to Sydney.

"I'll help you, sir," he whispered, faintly. "Drink again."

Hah! Water, delicious cold pure water; a long deep draught that sent
life fluttering through Syd's veins once more, and he half lay there,
watching as some more water was trickled between the boatswain's lips.

"I spilt--a lot," said Rogers. "More down there."

The power to act came back to Syd with his senses, and he loosened the
handkerchief the boatswain wore from about his neck, plunged it into the
bucket, and drew it out full of water to hold over Strake's mouth, and
let the water drip down as the poor fellow kept on making spasmodic,
choking efforts to swallow.

There was an intense desire on Syd's part to drink again, but he could
think now, and he pointed up the gap toward the hut, where he knew that
his brother officers and the boy lay dying.

"Can you carry this up--to them?" whispered Rogers. "I'll go down and
get the rest. There's quarter of a bucketful below here."

Syd nodded.

"I'll try and get it up. Give him some more, and take the rest to my
mates."

Syd looked his assent and tried to get up, but fell down. His second
effort was more successful, and he took the bucket, which contained
nearly a quart of water, and reeled and staggered up the gap, past the
men who lay apparently dead to his right, and then on with his strengt