ndled
away and vanished in the distance.

CHAPTER VIII.

INDIANS.

The sleep of perfect health is dreamless, and is not easily aroused by
external disturbance. Tim O'Rooney, Elwood Brandon and Howard Lawrence,
sweetly forgetful of the need of their being within sight and hearing of
the shore, slept through the entire day without once awaking. The sun
was just dipping beneath the Pacific when Howard opened his eyes with
that confused, indistinct recollection which often takes possession of
our faculties when first aroused from a deep slumber. He stared around
and the sight of the unconscious forms of his two companions, and the
mute Newfoundland dog with his nose between his paws, but blinking as if
to show he "slept with one eye open," quickly recalled his situation. In
considerable alarm, he sprung up, and began rousing the others. As they
rubbed their eyes and rose to the sitting position, he said in
excitement:

"Do you know we have slept ever since morning?"

"It can't be possible!" exclaimed Elwood.

"I should say we had slept a waak be the token of the hunger I feels,"
said Tim, with a most woeful countenance.

"I don't see any likelihood of our getting anything to digest in these
parts," replied Howard.

"And where else shall we look for the same?"

"Nowhere that I know of."

"Suppose some ship has stopped here while we have been asleep!" suddenly
interrupted Elwood.

"Wouldn't they have looked for us? But then they couldn't have known
where we were," said Howard, asking and answering his own question in
the same breath.

"We are in a pretty fix then," was the comment of Elwood, laughing at
the doleful countenances he saw.

"Boys," said Tim, hitching up his pantaloons and scratching his head,
"shall I tell yees something to your advantage, as the papers say?"

"Of course," answered Howard, "nothing could suit us better."

"Well, then, while we've been slaaping, our friends along shore have
been carried away, and we're lift to make ourselves comfortable, as the
peddler said when he hung himself up by his foot."

"Let us see!" exclaimed Elwood, "perhaps we are not too late yet."

The three rushed ever the rocks pell-mell, the dog being at their side,
and giving vent now and then to short, sharp barks, as if he enjoyed the
ramble.

Elwood was at the head, and had run but a short distance when he sprung
upon a bowlder higher than the others, and shading his eyes for a moment
as he loo