and precious stoopid,
but he'll tell us where we are in a jiffy. Here! Hi! Avast there!
Neb!"

"Hullo!" came in answer to what sounded like a heavy shaking after Bob
Hampton had crept by me.

"Now, my lad, rouse up a bit."

"Our watch, old man?"

"No; not yet."

"Bless yer. Good-night."

Snore.

"No, no; rouse up."

"Well, all right, messmate. That there's flesh and blood you've got
hold on, not suit. Don't skin me."

"Then wake up."

"Well, I'm woke up. What is it? Who's dowsed the lantern?"

"I d'know. Here's Mr Dale wants you to tell him where we are."

"Mr Dale?"

"Yes; I said so, didn't I, stoopid?"

"Course you did, matey, but what's he doing here?"

"That's what he wants you to tell him, only he wants to know first where
here is."

There was the sound of some one feeling about, and I fancied I could
hear some one else breathing, but I was not sure, and I listened
patiently for what Neb Dumlow was going to say. But Bob Hampton was the
first to speak, and he said in a gruff whisper--

"He's a awful thick-headed chap, sir, but I think he'll hit it off for
us directly."

"Messmate!" came from a little way off.

"Well?"

"Has some one been having a lark with us?"

"I dunno, and I don't know anything," growled Bob. "You arn't wanted to
ask questions, but to answer what Mr Dale wants to know. Now, then,
what d'yer make of it?"

"Nowt."

"Well, where are we?"

"Dunno."

"What!--can't yer tell?"

"Can't find bottom, my lad; only seem to arrive at one thing."

"Well, what is it?"

"Well, it's this here; if it was me and you and old Barney--where is old
Barney?"

"Here, messmate."

"Oh, come then, I might be right, on'y you see we've got Mr Dale with
us."

"Look here, what are you fogging about? Why don't you say what yer
mean, my lad? Now then, out with it. Where are we?--'cause Mr Dale
wants to know."

"Well, as he's here, we can't be here," growled Dumlow.

"What d'yer mean, stoopid?"

"Why, we can't be where I thought we was."

"And wheers that?"

"Why, my lad, it looks like this here 'cording to what I feels. But
stop a moment, let's ask Barney a question. Barney, old lad!"

"Hullo!"

"How's yer head?"

"Just as if it was a beehive, and all the bees swarming."

"That's it. Then we are here, and all I've got to say for myself is, as
I wonder I could ha' been such a fool, and I'm sorry as Mr Dale don't
know better."

"Then where are we, Dum