advantage, and kept them in view unnoticed and unheard.

Now he was lying under the bulwarks, and so close that Jem's foot almost
touched his shoulder. Another time he was lying in one of the boats
slung from the davits--then behind a coil of rope--behind the cook's
galley--in the lee of a cask--once in a water barrel which was to be
filled with the icy fluid of the river which came down from one of the
mountains; always, with the activity of a monkey, contriving to be
somewhere close at hand, till they stood at last, silent and watchful,
about mid-way between the fore and main chains, peering out into the
darkness shoreward and listening for the faintest sound from off the
sea.

It was a wonderfully still night, and though out to the east the
restless waves beat heavily on reef and shore, their action here was a
slow heaving and curling over on the black metallic sand with a sound
that to those on shipboard was like a whisper, but whose movement could
be seen by a faint line of lambent light just in the blackest part to
leeward of the ship, where sea touched shore. Sometimes this was so
faint as to be hardly visible to the best-trained sight; at others it
was as if some phosphorescent serpent was gliding swiftly along the
sands, and it was in this direction that Don strained his eyes in the
hope of catching sight of Ngati's canoe, whose paddles would churn up
the water and shed on either side a faint golden light.

On board there were the customary anchor lanterns, and the faint glow
thrown up from the skylights; but these seemed to have scarcely any
effect upon the darkness, which hung down like a pall over the vessel,
and Don's spirits rose as he felt how well they were concealed. Then
they sank once more, for Jem placed his lips close to his ear and
whispered,--

"It's too dark, my lad; we shall never be able to see the canoe if she
comes."

Just then Don pressed his arm, and they listened together to what
sounded like a faint sawing noise, which stopped and was renewed several
times, and was followed by a slight splash.

The sounds came from forward, apparently somewhere in the direction of
the foreshrouds; but though they listened intently it was heard no more.

"Fish," said Jem in a whisper, "trying to climb up into the ship, and
then tumbled back into the sea."

"Nonsense!" said Don, shortly. "Now you look to the left, and I'll look
to the right."

"Right, my lad. I'll look, but she won't come."