"Pull away!" cried Bigley; and I did pull away, making an angry snatch
at the water each time, for I was in pain and misery; but in a short
time the stiffness wore off, the aching was not so bad, and, to my great
delight, a curious sensation of glow began to run through me, and I was
beginning to feel comfortable, when Bigley exclaimed:

"In oars! I'm going to wake up Bob."

He leaned forward and shook Bob, who resented it by kicking, and then
throwing out a fist which struck the side of the boat a sharp rap.

"Bob! Bob Chowne! Wake up!" cried Bigley taking him by both shoulders
and shaking him.

Bob hit out again, striking Bigley this time viciously in the chest, and
the result was another sharp shake, for Bigley seemed disposed to take
up his father's tone again.

"What is it?" whimpered Bob. "I am so precious cold. Let me alone,
will you?"

"Just you get on that thwart and row, will you?" cried Bigley in a deep
fierce growl; and Bob slowly, and with many a groan and sigh, took his
place, and began to row straight away into the darkness.

It was a wise thing to do, for it made us warmer, tired as we grew, and
so we kept on change and change about for quite an hour, when I saw
something which made me shout.

"We're close home; there's the light."

Bigley looked out in the direction I pointed, and watched for a minute
before he spoke.

"No," he said; "it's moving. It's a light on board a ship." It was out
of our course, but it seemed the wisest thing to do; and with visions of
dry warm blankets, and something hot to drink, we tugged away at our
oars, but never seemed to get a bit nearer to the light, which kept
disappearing and then coming into sight again, looking if anything
smaller than before.

How long the time seemed, and how bitterly cold it was! By degrees our
clothes seemed to be not quite so heavy and wet; but, though I could get
my arms and hands warmed, my legs and feet seemed to have lost all their
feeling, no matter what I did to bring it back.

It was still dark all around, though overhead the sky now sparkled with
points of light, one of which that we kept seeing in the distance might
very well have been on the shore, only that we felt sure that we saw it
move.

And so hour after hour we tugged away at the oars, changing about, and
the one who was off lying down to go to sleep directly in spite of the
wet and cold, for sheer exhaustion was stronger than either.

At last the wh