ertion, while still suffering from his injuries.

Greater reason still why Mark could not sit in judgment upon his man; he
himself had been utterly unable to keep awake.

These thoughts passed as the ray of light was shifted by Tom Fillot's
manipulation of the lantern, which shone directly after upon the clean
white planks, with their black, well-caulked seams. Then, very slowly
and cautiously, Tom Fillot guided the little patch of light along the
boards till it fell upon a big heap of rusty chain between them and the
hatch, showing how long and patiently someone must have been at work,
and also the terrible fact that before long every link would have been
removed, and in all probability the crew would have been taken by
surprise.

For now, as Tom still guided on the little patch of light, it fell upon
a red hand visible as far as the wrist. This had been thrust out beside
the edge of the cover after a portion had been hacked away with a knife,
and the fingers, rust covered and strange looking, were working away,
industriously easing down link after link on to the deck, their weight
helping the worker, while the heap on the hatch was steadily, as it
were, melting away.

They stood watching this for a few moments, and then steadying the
lantern with one hand, Tom slowly raised his cutlass with the other. A
slight alteration of the rays of light must have flashed in the signal
_Danger_! to the man at work, for the strange dull clinking of the links
finished suddenly with one louder clink than the rest. The chain had
been dropped as the hand darted in.

Grote started back into wakefulness at the sound and sprang to his feet,
on guard with his cutlass, while Tom Fillot fully uncovered the lantern,
and held it up right in the man's face, the light gleaming on the
weapons they held.

"Yes, you're a nice 'un, you are," growled Tom Fillot, "Look at that.
Where should we have been in another hour if we'd trusted to you?"

The man stared at the two heaps of chain, then at Tom Fillot, and then
at his young officer, as he uttered a low groan.

"I've done it now, sir," he faltered, in his deep bass. "I did try so
hard, sir; oh, so hard, but it come over me like all of a sudden, and
walking up and down warn't no good. I was asleep as I walked, and at
last I thought if I shut my eyes a moment--"

_Bang_!

A sharp flash and a report made all three start back, and spread the
alarm, one of the first to run up being the