captain
pretended to be very indignant at being popped into bed as soon as he
got home, "like a little boy who had tumbled into the water," he said;
but he was not sorry to drink a glass of hot grog which Margery brought
him, after which he fell fast asleep.

Mrs Askew watched by the side of the young sailor lad, who now also
slept soundly. She thought of her own dear boy, who might have been as
this lad was--washed ashore on some strange land; and as she would have
wished him to have been treated, so she desired to treat the young
stranger. He was older than Jack would now be--stouter and fairer--not
like him, indeed, except in possessing an honest and innocent
countenance. She did not for a moment suppose that he was her own boy
come back to her, and yet, as she watched him, her heart strings began
strangely to coil round him, and she felt that he could never be a
stranger to her. She was sure that he would be worthy of her regard--
judging by the expression of his countenance--this opinion being
strengthened by hearing of the affection shown to him by the young
negro. She sat up with some food ready to give him when he should
awake, and it was not till daybreak, after he had taken it, that she
would allow Becky to take her place. When she opened the door she found
the black boy coiled up close to it, on a rug. He had left the snug bed
provided for him that he might be near the lad, to whom he was evidently
attached.

Margery was the first of the family on foot; she longed to hear more
about the young stranger, but he was still asleep, and there was no one
else to tell her--the black boy was about, but he could not exchange
many words with her--so, to employ the time, they looked through the
telescope to ascertain if any more pieces of the wreck were floating
about near the shore, but nothing was to be seen. The wind had
considerably abated, and the sun was shining brightly on the sparkling
waves; though she could not forget that they danced over the graves of
so many of her fellow-creatures who that time the day before were full
of life and strength, and that probably the only survivors were the
black boy and the young lad, now sleeping safely in the tower, who had
been on the last night washed ashore.

CHAPTER FOUR.

CHARLEY BLOUNT--PETER A PRISONER--TRUSTY'S ASSISTANTS--IN HIDING.

"I want to know your name and all about you," said Margery, addressing
the young stranger, who, having eaten a very g