r, Indians or
half-breeds--from the absence of clothing and the colour of their skins
as they lay forward--fast asleep, like the occupant of the covered-in
portion.

The great schooner was broad and Dutch-like in its capacious beam, and
manned by a fair-sized crew, but not a soul was visible, for it was
early in the afternoon; the vessel was immovable, and all on board were
fast asleep.

Shadrach Naylor, too, had been having his nap, with his pipe in his
mouth, but it had fallen out with a rap in the bottom of the boat, and
this had awakened him with a start to pick it up. He valued that pipe
highly as one of his very few possessions--a value not visible to any
one else, for intrinsically, if it had been less black and not quite so
much chipped, it might have been worth a farthing English current coin
of the realm.

So Shadrach Naylor, familiarly known as "Shaddy," opened his one eye so
as to find his pipe, picked it up, and was in the act of replacing it in
his mouth prior to closing his eye again, when the sharp, piercing, dark
orb rested upon Rob Harlow, seated in the stern, roasting in the sun,
and holding a line that trailed away overboard into the deep water
behind the sand-bank.

Perhaps it was from being so ugly a man and knowing it that Shaddy had a
great liking for Rob Harlow, who was an English lad, sun-burnt,
brown-haired, well built, fairly athletic, at most sixteen, very
good-looking, and perfectly ignorant of the fact.

So Shaddy rose from forward, and, with his toes spreading out like an
Indian's, stepped from thwart to thwart till he was alongside of Rob, of
whom he asked the question respecting the biting, his inquiry relating
to the fish, while Rob's reply applied to the insects which worried him
in their search for juicy portions of his skin.

But they were not allowed to feed in peace, for Rob smacked and slapped
sharply, viciously, but vainly, doing far more injury to himself than to
the gnat-like flies, so, to repeat his words,--

"I say, Shaddy, do they always bite like this?"

"Well, yes, sir," said Shaddy, "mostlings. It's one down and t'other
come on with them. It's these here in the morning, and when they've
done the sand-flies take their turn till sun goes down, and then out
comes the skeeters to make a night of it."

"Ugh!" ejaculated Rob, giving himself a vicious rub. "I'm beginning to
wish I hadn't come. It's horrible."

"Not it, youngster. You'll soon get used to 'em.