room.
We seem more shut-up like. But it will soon begin to go down now."

"Will it?" whispered Arthur; "or shall we all be shut-up here and
drowned?"

"Oh, no, no!" whispered back Will; "don't you get thinking that. The
water must begin to go down again soon."

"What time is it high water?" said Mr Temple suddenly.

"Two o'clock, sir," said Josh.

"Why, it must be near that time now," said Mr Temple, laying down his
hammer to take out his watch. "Hold the light here, Dick."

Dick caught up the lanthorn, but in doing so caught his foot against one
of the bottom boards, stumbled, and there was a splash, and then utter
darkness.

The lanthorn had gone overboard, and as the water, disturbed by the fall
of the lanthorn and the rocking motion given to the boat, washed and
lapped and whispered against the sides, with gasps and suckings and
strange sounds, that seemed to be ten times louder in the darkness, Josh
growled out:

"Well, you have gone and done it now!"

Then there was utter silence. The water came in with a rush and gurgle
that was fearful. The boat heaved and bumped against the side, and it
seemed to the prisoners as if the next moment they must be swamped.

But as with breathlessness they listened, the sounds and disturbance
died away to whispers, and there was nothing but a feeble lapping.

"It's only noise," said Will, suddenly breaking the silence. "The boat
can't hurt."

"Will's right," growled Josh; "but it's a gashly place to be in without
a light."

"_Crick, crack_!"

There was a flash, and a little flame for a few moments as Josh, who had
taken out his match-box, struck a light, and held it till it was ready
to burn his fingers, when he let it fall in the smooth surface of the
water, where it was extinguished with a hiss.

"Don't burn any more, my man," said Mr Temple; "we may want them--"

He was about to say, "in a greater emergency," but he checked himself.

"Right, sir," replied Josh.

"Do you think it is high water now?"

"No, sir. 'Nother two hours to flow," replied Josh. "I remember a case
once where some chaps was shut-up in a zorn like this, and--"

"Hush!--hold your tongue!" whispered Will excitedly; "don't tell about
that."

"Why not?" growled Josh. "We aren't going to be drowned and washed out
to sea."

"Are you mad, Josh?" whispered Will. "You'll frighten them."

"Oh! all right, then," growled Josh; "I didn't know."

Mr Temple was silent, and, bending