from her as
possible, while the tide should sweep them past; but the wind having
almost died away, he did not succeed in this; however, he knew that
darkness would prevent recognition, so he thought it best not to take to
the oars, but to hold on, intending to slip quietly by, not supposing
that Billy would think it of any use to hail the vessel; but Billy
happened to think otherwise.

"Gull ahoy! hoy!" he shouted at the top of his shrill voice.

"Boat ahoy!" responded Jack Shales, who happened to be on duty; but no
response was given to Jack, for the good reason that Jones had instantly
clapped his hand on Billy's mouth, and half-choked him.

"That's odd," remarked Jack, after repeating his cry twice. "I could
swear it was the voice of that sharp little rascal Billy Towler."

"If it wasn't it was his ghost," replied Jerry MacGowl, who chanced to
be on deck at the time.

"Sure enough it's very ghost-like," said Shales, as the boat glided
silently and slowly out of the circle of the lantern's light, and faded
from their vision.

Mr Jones did not follow up his act with further violence. He merely
assured Billy that he was a foolish fellow, and that it was of no use to
struggle against his fate.

As time wore on, poor Billy felt dreadfully sleepy, and would have given
a good deal for some of the grog in his companion's case-bottle, but,
resolving to stand upon his dignity, would not condescend to ask for it.
At length he lay down and slept, and Jones covered him with a
pilot-coat.

No soft spot in the scoundrel's heart induced him to perform this act of
apparent kindness. He knew the poor boy's temperament, and resolved to
attack him on his weakest point.

When Billy awoke the day was just breaking. He stretched himself,
yawned, sat up, and looked about him with the confused air of one not
quite awake.

"Hallo!" he cried gaily, "where on earth am I?"

"You ain't on earth, lad; you're afloat," replied Jones, who still sat
at the helm.

At once the boy remembered everything, and shrank within himself. As he
did so, he observed the pilot-coat which covered him, and knew that it
must have been placed where it was by Jones. His resolution to hold out
was shaken; still he did not give in.

Mr Jones now began to comment in a quiet good-natured way upon the
weather and the prospects of the voyage (which excited Billy's curiosity
very much), and suggested that breakfast would not be a bad thing, and
that a