thout unclosing his eyes he grunted out:

"Bring me a light."

Miserable, wet, and hungry as he was, Mark could not restrain a smile.

"Bring me a light," growled the major again. "Do you--eh?" he
ejaculated, opening his eyes and gazing round. "Oh! hah! I remember
now. Huph! Oh my legs; they're as stiff as if they'd no joints! Why,
Mark, my lad, good morning."

His words were uttered in a low voice, for he had glanced round and seen
that everyone was asleep.

Mark reached over and extended his hand, which was warmly grasped, and
this done, the major gave a glance round, grasping at once their
position.

"Shame to wake them," he said, "but I want to stretch my legs. Ah,
that's it! Give me your knife, lad."

Mark drew out his pocket-knife, and the major took hold of the sheet
which reached to the submerged sail, and drew upon it so as to set the
boat in motion. Then letting it go again he dexterously cut the sheet
in two upon the edge of the boat before there was any check, and the gig
floated slowly towards the shore.

"We shall be able to find that afterwards," he said in a whisper; and
then he waited till the boat softly grounded upon the sands, so close to
where they lay dry, that the major was able to step ashore, rocking the
boat so slightly that no one stirred.

Mark made a sign, and Bruff limped up on to the thwart painfully, and
made as if to leap ashore, but hesitated, lifted up his wounded paw, and
whimpered.

The difficulty was solved by his master lifting his hind quarters over
the side, the dog offering no resistance, and touching bottom he managed
the rest himself, and splashed through the water to limp a few yards,
and lie down and roll in the warm dry sand.

Jack needed no invitation or order, for, hopping to the side rather
stiffly, he leaped over the intervening water on to the sand, and
bounded to Bruff, chattering and revelling in the sunshine, while the
dog ran on along the shore, and the two now began to gambol and roll.

Mark was the next to step ashore, and as he followed the major he
limped, feeling as if every joint had been wrenched; but the pain wore
off a little as he persevered, and following the major's example he
stretched himself upon the sand.

"We're not much more than damp now, my lad," said the major; "and this
will dry us and warm us too. I say, my boy, I thought we had come to
the end of the book. Didn't you?"

"No," said Mark quietly. "I knew we were i