arkness once more, mental and real.

Long enough after, Archie Maine found himself thinking again, and
wondering where he was and why it was so dark; but he could make out
nothing, till he gradually began to feel about him, slowly, cautiously,
as if in dread of something about to happen, for the sensation was
horrible of being nowhere and in danger of falling should he move. Then
there was a sudden feeling of consciousness, for he touched a hot hand,
and a familiar voice said:

"'Wake, sir? Like a drink?"

"Yes. That you, Pete?"

"Me it is, sir. Lie still, and I will give you a cocoa-nut-shellful of
water, and--and--Oh my! Oh my! Oh Lor'! I can't help it!"

And Archie lay thinking clearly enough now, and wondering why it was
that the big fellow who had spoken crouched close by him quivering, and
the hand that had grasped his roughly was shaking violently, as he lay
there blubbering and sobbing with all his might.

"What's the matter?" whispered Archie, in the midst of his wonder.

"Oh, it's only me, sir," cried the lad in a choking voice. "I couldn't
help it. It would ha' been just the same if I'd been on parade. It
would come. It's been ready to bust out all this time. I thought you
was going to die, sir--I thought you was going to die!"

"Die, Pete! No! What for?"

"Don't you know, sir?"

"No-o," said Archie wonderingly.

"Here, stop a minute; let me give you some water."

And in the darkness Archie lay listening to the pleasant, musical,
trickling sound of falling water; while directly after, as he felt the
private's hand passed under his neck, he made an effort to rise, and
fell a-wondering again, for he could not stir.

But the next minute there was a fancied feeling of returning strength as
he swallowed the cool draught with avidity, drinking till the desire
came upon him to sink back with a deep sigh of content, and he felt his
companion's arm withdrawn.

"Go to sleep after that, can't you?" whispered the private.

"No; I want to know what it all means."

"Hadn't you better go to sleep, sir?"

"No!" cried Archie, in a voice so full of the agony of desire that Peter
spoke out excitedly:

"Well, we are prisoners, sir."

"Prisoners! How? Why?"

"I d'know, sir."

"You don't know!" panted Archie feebly. "Oh, you are trying to keep it
back!"

"That I ain't, sir. I'll tell you what I do know. Somebody's took us
prisoners--some of them Malay chaps. I think it must be that