noises. It was the rising tide entering the
caverns of the rocks with a sound like the report of a cannon.

All the circumstances of his position conspired to produce the effect of
a vision. Hallucinations seemed to surround him. The vagueness of night
increased this effect; and Gilliatt felt himself plunged into some
region of unrealities. He asked himself if all were not a dream?

Then he dropped to sleep again; and this time, in a veritable dream,
found himself at the Bu de la Rue, at the Bravees, at St. Sampson. He
heard Deruchette singing; he was among realities. While he slept he
seemed to wake and live; when he awoke again he appeared to be sleeping.

In truth, from this time forward he lived in a dream.

Towards the middle of the night a confused murmur filled the air.
Gilliatt had a vague consciousness of it even in his sleep. It was
perhaps a breeze arising.

Once, when awakened by a cold shiver, he opened his eyes a little wider
than before. Clouds were moving in the zenith; the moon was flying
through the sky, with one large star following closely in her footsteps.

Gilliatt's mind was full of the incidents of his dreams. The wild
outlines of things in the darkness were exaggerated by this confusion
with the impressions of his sleeping hours.

At daybreak he was half-frozen; but he slept soundly.

The sudden daylight aroused him from a slumber which might have been
dangerous. The alcove faced the rising sun.

Gilliatt yawned, stretched himself, and sprang out of his sleeping
place.

His sleep had been so deep that he could not at first recall the
circumstances of the night before.

By degrees the feeling of reality returned, and he began to think of
breakfast.

The weather was calm; the sky cool and serene. The clouds were gone; the
night wind had cleared the horizon, and the sun rose brightly. Another
fine day was commencing. Gilliatt felt joyful.

He threw off his overcoat and his leggings; rolled them up in the
sheepskin with the wool inside, fastened the roll with a length of
rope-yarn, and pushed it into the cavern for a shelter in case of rain.

This done, he made his bed--an operation which consisted in removing the
stones which had annoyed him in the night.

His bed made, he slid down the cord on to the deck of the Durande, and
approached the niche where he had placed his basket of provisions. As it
was very near the edge, the wind in the night had swept it down, and
rolled it into