nd longer
reaches as they got farther out to sea; but they looked shoreward in
vain for the flashes of guns and the deep thunderous roar of the big
breech-loading cannon. But the sighing of the wind in the rigging and
the lapping of water against the schooner's bows were the only sounds
that greeted them in the soft tropic night.

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.

"NEVER SAY DIE!"

As long as the excitement kept up, Fitz paced the deck with Poole, but
for two or three nights past regular sleep and his eyelids had been at
odds. The consequence was that all at once in the silence and darkness,
when there was nothing to take his attention, he became very silent,
walking up and down the deck mechanically with his companion to keep
himself awake, and a short time afterwards for no reason at all that he
was aware of, but because one leg went before the other automatically,
his will having ceased to convey its desires to these his supporters,
and long after Poole had ceased talking to him, he suddenly gave a
violent lurch, driving Poole, who was in a similar condition, sideways,
and if it had not been for the bulwark close at hand they would both
have gone down like skittles. For they were both fast asleep, sound as
a top, fast as a church, but on the instant wide-awake and angry.

"What did you do that for?" cried Fitz fiercely. "I didn't," cried
Poole angrily. "You threw yourself at me."

"That I didn't! How could I?"

"How should I know? But you've made a great bruise on my elbow; I know
that."

"Quiet! quiet!" said the mate, in a deep low growl. "Do you want to
bring the gunboat down on us, shouting like that?" And he seemed to
loom up upon them out of the darkness.

"Well, but he--" began Fitz.

"Quiet, I tell you! I have been watching you lads these last ten
minutes. You've both been rolling about all over the deck, and I
expected to see you go down on your noses every moment. Snoring too,
one of you was."

"Well, that wasn't I, I'm sure," cried Fitz shortly.

"Oh, are you?" said the mate. "Well, I'm not. There, you are no use up
here, either of you. Go down and tumble into your bunks at once."

"But--" began Poole.

"You heard what I said, my lad. Go and have a good long snooze, and
don't make a stupid of yourself, bandying words like that. The watch
have all been laughing at you both. Now then, clear the deck. I am
going to keep things quiet."

The officer in charge of a deck is "monarch o