e posts during the early part of the night, and in turn with
Roylance during the latter part, the anxieties of the new command
keeping him on the alert.

As for Syd, he sat talking to Roylance for a time after going up to a
point where on the one side they could see the lights of the ship as she
lay to in the offing, and on the other, very dimly, the distant lamps of
the town of Saint Jacques, or those at the head of its harbour.

It was a strange experience up there in that cleft, under the shelter of
the tent, with the distant murmur of breaking waves upon the rocks. The
low buzz of the men lulled for a time, then ceased, and Syd lay gazing
at a great bright star which he could see peering through a slit between
two outstretched sails. Then that star passed out of sight and another
moved in, followed by another, which grew dim, then dimmer, and finally
disappeared, for the simple reason that Syd's eyes had closed and he was
fast asleep.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

The bustle about him at daybreak woke Syd up to find that it was a
glorious morning, but a sharp breeze had arisen; the sea was alive with
breaking waves, and great rollers kept coming in to thunder upon the
rock, sending up the broken water so far that it was evidently the first
duty to get all the tackle and raise the remainder of the cases and
barrels to the level of the cleft.

Willing hands worked well at this, and at last everything was got up in
safety on the first platform ready for running into the cleft, all save
the two dismounted guns and their carriages, which were not likely to
hurt, and the raising of these was deferred till after the breakfast,
which one of the men who acted as cook had prepared.

"There'll be no communication with the ship to-day, gentlemen," said the
lieutenant, "unless the wind drops. Why, she must be three miles
farther away, and I can't see the _Orion_. Bad job for you, Mr
Belton."

"Yes, sir," said Syd, quietly going on with his breakfast, and glancing
at Terry, who scowled.

"Well, I shall make you work. That's the only plan in dealing with
stowaways."

"Oh, I'll work, sir," said Syd. "When I've done break fast," he added
to himself.

"I tell you what," said the lieutenant; "we shall all be busy getting up
and mounting those guns, so I shall set you to find your mare's-nest."

"My what, sir?"

"Mare's-nest, my lad. You shall have two of our most active lads
well-armed. Take pistols yourself, and