ed to Jem.

"Asleep?" he whispered.

"I arn't a horse, am I?" was the surly reply. "Nice place to go to
sleep standing up, Mas' Don.--Think he'll come?"

"I in afraid not, now."

"What shall us do?"

Don was silent.

"Say, Mas' Don," whispered Jem, after a thoughtful pause, "seems a pity
to waste them ropes after--"

"Hist!"

Don's hand was on his lips, for voices were heard from aft, and directly
after they heard the captain say,--

"Yes; extremely dark. Think we shall have a storm?"

"No," said the first lieutenant, "the glass is too high. Very dark
indeed."

Then two faint sparks of light could be seen, indicating that the
speakers were smoking, and the low murmuring of their voices suggested
that they were chatting carelessly together.

"Keep your hand down, Mas' Don," said Jem in a whisper, after removing
it. "They can't hear us, and if they did they'd think it was the watch.
Say, look here, seems a pity to waste them ropes after we've got 'em
down ready."

"Yes, Jem, it does."

"Such a short way to slide down, and no fear o' their breaking, same as
there was in that cock-loft. What d'yer say?"

"What to?"

"Let's slide down and swim for it. 'Tarn't quarter of a mile. You
could do that easy."

"Yes, Jem; I think so."

"And I'd help you if you got tired. Let's go."

"But the sharks."

"There I goes again. I always forgets them sharks; but look here, my
lad, it's dark as pitch."

"Quite, Jem."

"We can't see twenty yards afore us, not clear."

"Not ten, Jem."

"Well, that's through the air. We couldn't see an inch through water."

"What of that?"

"More couldn't the sharks."

"Think not, Jem?"

"I feel 'bout sure on it. Look here, Mas' Don, I arn't got any money,
but if I had, I'd wager half-a-guinea that all the sharks are at home
and fast asleep; and if there's any of 'em shut out and roaming about in
the streets--I mean in the sea--it's so dark that they couldn't see more
than an inch before their noses; so let's open our knives ready, in case
one should come, so that we could dive down and stab him, same as the
natives do, and then swim on ashore. I'll risk it: will you?"

Don was silent for a few moments.

"Don't say _yes_, my lad, if you'd rayther not," said Jem, kindly. "I
don't want to persuade you."

"I'm ready, Jem. I was thinking whether it was right to let you go."

"Oh, never you mind about me, my lad. Now, look here, shall us one go
down each