dormitory at Dr Hellyer's--albeit we were down in
the hold of a dirty coal brig, with our lullaby sung by the incoming
tide, which was by this time nearly on the turn, washing and splashing
by the bows of the vessel lying alongside the projecting jetty, in its
way up the estuary of the river that composed the little harbour.

How long we had been in the land of dreams, and whether it was morning,
mid-day, or night, we knew not, for a thick impenetrable darkness still
filled the forehold where we were stowed; but, Tom and myself awoke to
the joyful certainty that we were at sea, or must be so--not only from
the motion of the brig, as she plunged up and down, with an occasional
heavy roll to port or starboard; but from the noise, also, that the
waves made, banging against her bow timbers, as if trying to beat them
in, and the trampling of the crew above on the deck over our heads.

We listened to these sounds for hours, unable to see anything and having
nought else to distract our attention, until Tom, becoming somewhat
affected by the smell of the bilge water in the hold as well as by the
unaccustomed rocking movement of the brig, began to feel sea-sick and
fretful.

"I declare this is worse than the Doctor's," he complained.

"We'll soon be let out," I said, "and then you'll feel better."

But, the friendly Jorrocks did not appear; and, at length, wearied out
at last by our vain watching, we both sank off to sleep again on our
uneasy couch.

After a time we woke up again. There was a noise as if the hatchway was
being raised, and then the welcome gleam of a lantern appeared above the
orifice.

It was Jorrocks come to relieve us, we thought; and so we both started
up instantly.

The hour for our deliverance had not yet arrived, however.

"Steady!" cried our friend. "We're just off Beachy Head, and you must
lie where you are till mornin'; but, as you must be famished by now,
I've brought you a bit of grub to keep your pecker up. Show a hand,
Master Martin!"

I thereupon stretched out upwards, and Jorrocks, reaching downwards,
placed in my grip our old acquaintance of the previous night, the mess-
tin, filled with pieces of beef and potatoes mixed up together, after
which he shoved on the hatchway cover again, as if somebody had suddenly
interrupted him.

I made a hearty meal, although Tom felt too qualmish to eat much, and
then we both lay down with the assurance that our troubles would
probably soon be o