ell upon them.

But the sleep was not then profound. The mind still acted like the
flickering of a candle in its socket, and urged them to start up wakeful
and determined once more. And this happened again and again, the
sufferers telling themselves that it would be madness to go to sleep.
But, madness or no, Nature said they must; and almost simultaneously,
after seating themselves in the bottom of the boat, so as to prop
themselves in the corners between the thwart and side, they glided lower
and lower, and at last lay prone in the most profound of slumber,
totally unconscious of everything but the great need which would renew
with fresh vigour their exhausted frames.

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.

A STRANGE AWAKENING.

The grey gulls were wheeling round and round, dipping down from time to
time to pick up some scrap of floating food or tiny fish from out of a
shoal; the cormorants and shags were swimming here and there, and diving
down swift as the fish themselves, in chase of victim after victim for
their ravenous maws, and the fish, crowded together, were playing about
the surface, and leaping out at times like bars of silver, to fall back
again with a splash, while the sun made the water sparkle as it rippled
and played and foamed among the rocks.

It was a glorious morning; and the heather, gorse and purple-hued
lavender blossomed, sea-pinks glistened and flashed, as the sun played
and sent off rays of dazzling iridescent hues from the evanescent gems
with which the night mists had bedewed them.

Everywhere all was life and light, save where a boat went gliding along
upon a swift current stem first, stern first, or broadside on, as the
various curves and jutting rocks at the foot of the huge cliffs affected
the hurrying waters and made them react upon the boat.

All at once there was a desperate quarrel and screaming for as a diver
rose from its plunge, and was flying towards one of the cliff shelves to
enjoy its morning meal in the shape of a large, newly caught fish, it
was attacked by a huge pirate of a black-backed gull, which pounced down
upon it with open beak, secured the fish, and as it flew off was
followed and mobbed by a score of other birds, when such a wild clamour
of sharp metallic screams arose, that it startled one of the occupants
of the boat, making him spring up, rub his eyes, stare, and then bend
down to rouse his companion.

"Here! Hi! Mike! Ladle! Wake up!"

The other obeyed, spr