eyes, drew a long, deep, restful breath, and turned over as if
to go to sleep again; but he started up on his elbow instead as he
encountered Pete's face, and a look of horror and dislike contracted his
own.

"You here?" he said wonderingly.

"Hush! Don't speak aloud, dear lad," whispered Pete excitedly.

"Dear lad?"

"Master Nic Revel, then. You haven't quite come-to yet. You don't
remember. You were took bad again after being bad once--when you asked
me questions aboard ship, and I had to tell you."

"Taken bad--aboard ship?"

"Here you are; catch hold," said a voice close to them; and one of the
men handed each half a small loaf, while his companion filled a tin mug
that must have held about half-a-pint, and offered it to Nic.

The young man had let the great piece of bread fall into his lap, but
the gurgling sound of the water falling into the mug seemed to rouse a
latent feeling of intense thirst, and he raised himself more, took the
vessel with both hands and half-drained it, rested for a few moments,
panting, and then drank the rest before handing the tin back with a sigh
of content.

"No, no; hold it," said the man sharply; and Nic had to retain it in his
trembling hands while it was refilled.

"There, give it to your mate," said the water-bearer.

The two young men's eyes met over the vessel in silence, Nic's full of
angry dislike, Pete's with an appealing, deprecating look, which did not
soften Nic's in the least.

"Well, why don't you take it?" said the man with the pitcher.

"Don't seem to kinder want it now," replied Pete hoarsely.

"Drink it, man, and don't be a fool. You'll be glad of it long before
you get there. Sun's hot yet, and the water's salt for miles, and then
for far enough brackish."

Nic looked at the speaker wonderingly, for the blank feeling seemed to
be coming with the forerunner of the peculiar sensation of confusion
which had troubled him before, and he looked from one to the other as if
for help; while Pete took the mug and drained it, but contented himself
with slipping his bread inside the breast of his shirt, and stood
looking down at Nic, whose lips parted to speak, but no words came.

"Seem decent sort of fellows," said the water-bearer, as he turned off
towards the door with his companion; and the dogs rose to follow them,
sniffing at the basket.

"Yes, poor beggars!" said the other. "Whatever they've been up to in
the old country, they've got to pay pre