two midshipmen climbed up into the cart, nestled themselves into the
straw, or rather Indian corn-leaves, and were soon fast asleep. As they
had not slept for two nights, it is not to be wondered at that they
slept soundly--so soundly, indeed, that about two hours after they had
got into their comfortable bed, the peasant, who had brought to the
village some casks of wine to be shipped and taken down the coast in a
felucca, yoked his bullocks, and not being aware of his freight, drove
off without, in any way, disturbing their repose, although the roads in
Sicily are not yet macadamised.

The jolting of the roads rather increased than disturbed the sleep of
our adventurers; and, although there were some rude shocks, it only had
the effect of making them fancy in their dreams that they were again in
the boat, and that she was still dashing against the rocks. In about
two hours, the cart arrived at its destination--the peasant unyoked his
bullocks and led them away. The same cause will often produce contrary
effects: the stopping of the motion of the cart disturbed the rest of
our two midshipmen; they turned round in the straw, yawned, spread out
their arms, and then awoke. Gascoigne, who felt considerable pain in
his shoulder, was the first to recall his scattered senses.

"Easy," cried he, as he sat up and shook off the corn-leaves.

"Port it is," said Jack, half dreaming.

"Come, Easy, you are not on board now. Rouse and bitt."

Jack then sat up and looked at Gascoigne. The forage in the cart was so
high round them that they could not see above it; they rubbed their
eyes, yawned, and looked at each other.

"Have you any faith in dreams," said Jack to Gascoigne, "because I had a
very queer one last night."

"Well, so had I," replied Gascoigne. "I dreamt that the cart rolled by
itself into the sea, and went away with us right in the wind's eye back
to Malta; and, considering that it never was built for such service, she
behaved uncommonly well. Now what was your dream?"

"Mine was, that we woke up and found ourselves in the very town from
which the speronare had sailed, and that they had found the fore-part of
the speronare among the rocks, and recognised her, and picked up one of
our pistols. That they had laid hold of us, and had insisted that we
had been thrown on shore in the boat, and asked us what had become of
the crew--they were just seizing us, when I awoke."

"Your dream is more likely to come