about is his supply of fresh
water."

"To be sure," said Aleck. "I always take a little keg from our spring
when I go for a long day's fishing."

"Pity you didn't bring it here," said the middy, dismally.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"I want to know what we're going to do for water as soon as those
bottles are empty?"

It was Aleck's turn to be silent now, and in turn he was some moments
before he spoke.

"I never thought of that," he said, and he felt as if a cold chill was
running through him, to give place to a hot feverish sensation,
accompanied by thirst.

Then he recovered his boyish elasticity.

"Here," he cried, "never say die! I'm not going to give up like this.
Look here; we've got a spring at home where the water trickles out of a
crack in the rock and flows down into a great stone tank like a well.
It only comes in drops, but it's always dropping, and so we have enough
for our wants."

"Pity you didn't bring your tank here," said the middy. "What's the
good of telling me that?"

"Because the cliff all along here for miles has places where the water
trickles out, and I shouldn't be a bit surprised if we were to find that
the smugglers have something in the shape of a tank here in this place.
They must have wanted water here, and they would be sure to have saved
any that trickled in."

"Then you'd better find it," said the middy.

"Come along, then; let's search. This place is very big."

"You can if you like. I've had such a dose this morning, just when I
felt I was going to get out, that I'm going to lie down and try to
forget it."

"What! Go to sleep?" cried Aleck.

"Yes."

"That you're not. You're going to help me search the cavern."

"I'm not."

"You are," cried Aleck, firmly.

"Look here; do you want to make it a fight?"

"No, and you don't either. Come on; we'll light another candle and
stick it upon a piece of stone or slate. Then we'll have a good hunt."

"Oh, very well," said the middy, rising. "Come on, then; but I'm sure
we're only going to tire ourselves for nothing."

"Never mind, it will keep us from thinking."

There was no difficulty in picking up a flat piece of slate, and then a
fresh candle was cut free from the bunch, its end melted, and stuck on
to the stone, and then the lads looked at one another.

"Look here," said the middy; "I wish I wasn't such an awful beast."

Aleck laughed.

"You don't look one," he said.

"No, but I feel one. Fellow