and lights were
twinkling here and there on either bank, showing that they were now in a
well-populated part.

"Where are we to sleep to-night, Bob?" said Dexter at last.

"Dunno yet. Can't see no places."

"We must be near the sea now, mustn't we?"

"Yes, pretty handy to it," said Bob, with the confidence of one in utter
ignorance. "We shall be there to-morrow, and then we can catch heaps of
cod-fish, and soles, and mack'rel, and find oysters. It'll be all right
then."

This was encouraging, but somehow Dexter did not feel so much confidence
in his companion as of old.

But Bob's rest, and the disappearance of danger had brought him back to
his former state, and he was constantly making references to the
departed enemy.

"I should just liked to have ketched him touching me!" he said. "I'd
ha' give his shins such a kicking as would soon have made him cry `Leave
off.'"

Dexter sat and stared through the gloom at the young Gascon.

"I'd ha' soon let him know what he'd get if he touched me."

"Hi, Bob! look out!"

Bob uttered a cry of dread, and nearly jumped overboard as something
still and dark suddenly loomed up above him. Then there was a bump,
which nearly finished what the boy had felt disposed to do; and then
they were gliding along by the side of a vessel anchored in midstream.

As they swept past the stern the boat bumped again against something
black and round, which proved to be a floating tub. With this they
seemed to have become entangled, for there was a rasping grating noise,
then the boat's chain began to run rapidly over the bows, the boat swung
round, and their further progress was checked. A piece of the chain
with the hook had been left hanging over, and when they had touched the
tub buoy the hook had caught, and they were anchored some little
distance astern the large vessel.

"Here's a game!" cried Bob, as soon as he had recovered from his
astonishment. "Well, we can't go on in the dark. Let's stop here."

"But we've got to find a place to sleep, Bob," protested Dexter.

"Yah! you're always wanting to go to sleep. There ain't no place to
sleep ashore, so let's sleep in the boat. Why, we shall always have to
bunk down there when we get out to sea."

"But suppose the boat should sink?"

"Yah! suppose it did. We'd swim ashore. Only mind you don't get outer
bed in the night and walk into the water. I don't want to go to sleep
at all."

Dexter did not feel drowsy, but