ars ago, when we were little more than boys. He saved my
life by jumping into a deep pool in a lake and rescuing me from the
crocodiles. I had fallen in off the steep bank. I could not swim, and
he could. After that we made the alliance of brotherhood. Laihova was
not a Christian at that time. Since then God has made use of me to
rescue him from a more awful death than that which threatened me.
Laihova is grateful, and, knowing that I run much risk in going near the
capital, has come, as you see, to help me."

"Not a bad style of brotherhood that," said Hockins, with a tremendous
yawn. "Eh, Ebony? What d'ee think of you an' me goin' in for the same
sort o' thing?"

"P'r'aps," answered Ebony, with a responsive yawn which threw that of
Hockins quite into the shade, "p'r'aps black blood mightn't agree wid
your stummick. But I say, Massa Breezy, don' you tink it a'most time we
was goin' to sleep?"

As the night was far spent--or, rather, the morning far advanced--by
that time, the whole party willingly assented. Laihova was supplied
with a separate mat, the embers of the wood-fire were drawn together,
and they all lay down once more, to make the most of what remained of
the period of repose. But circumstances were against them.

True, being tired and healthy men, they dropped off at once with the
facility of infants, and during a quarter of an hour or so, while the
fire continued to emit an occasional flicker, all went well; but when
the last vestige of flame died away, the rats again came out with
bead-like eyes and cautious tread. Gradually they became bolder.
Impunity never fails to encourage presumption. In short they soon began
to hold a sort of carnival. The pots and pans became, as it were,
musical, to the evident distress of the slumbering seaman--especially
when the large grey rat fairly overturned a small rice-jar, which in its
fall removed several props from other utensils and caused a serious
clatter. Still the wearied men slept through it all, until the enemy
took to scampering over their bodies. Then the enraged Ebony, being
partially awakened, made a fierce grasp at one of the foe, and caught
Hockins by the ear. Of course the result was a howl, and a sleepy
request from Mark, to "Stop that noise!"

But even that incident failed to arouse them thoroughly, though it
filled the rats with temporary horror, and caused them to flee.

The last word reminds us that there were others there that