last, the bo'sun bade us to stop and make supper, which we did,
and after that, he set the watches, and the rest of us turned in; for we
were very weary.

In spite of my previous weariness, when the man whom I relieved called me
to take my watch, I felt very fresh and wide awake, and spent a great
part of the time, as on the preceding night, in studying over my plans
for completing the great bow, and it was then that I decided finally in
what manner I would secure the bows athwart the end of the stock; for
until then I had been in some little doubt, being divided between several
methods. Now, however, I concluded to make twelve grooves across the sawn
end of the stock, and fit the middles of the bows into these, one above
the other, as I have already mentioned; and then to lash them at each
side to bolts driven into the sides of the stock. And with this idea I
was very well pleased; for it promised to make them secure, and this
without any great amount of work.

Now, though I spent much of my watch in thinking over the details of my
prodigious weapon, yet it must not be supposed that I neglected to
perform my duty as watchman; for I walked continually about the top of
the hill, keeping my cut-and-thrust ready for any sudden emergency. Yet
my time passed off quietly enough; though it is true that I witnessed one
thing which brought me a short spell of disquiet thought. It was in this
wise:--I had come to that part of the hill-top which overhung the valley,
and it came to me, abruptly, to go near to the edge and look over. Thus,
the moon being very bright, and the desolation of the valley reasonably
clear to the eye, it appeared to me, as I looked that I saw a movement
among certain of the fungi which had not burnt, but stood up shriveled
and blackened in the valley. Yet by no means could I be sure that it was
not a sudden fancy, born of the eeriness of that desolate looking vale;
the more so as I was like to be deceived because of the uncertainty which
the light of the moon gives. Yet, to prove my doubts, I went back until I
had found a piece of rock easy to throw, and this, taking a short run, I
cast into the valley, aiming at the spot where it had seemed to me that
there had been a movement. Immediately upon this, I caught a glimpse of
some moving thing, and then, more to my right, something else stirred,
and at this, I looked towards it; but could discover nothing. Then,
looking back at the clump at which I had aimed