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f gave Billy a poke in the ribs which roused him. "Come, boy," said his father almost sternly, "you've slept long enough now; get up an' steer. Don't you see the cap'n's pullin' all alone!" "All right, daddy," said Billy, uttering a loud yawn and stretching himself. "Where am I? Oh! oh!" The question was put before he had quite recovered consciousness; the terminal "oh!" was something like a groan of despair, as his eye fell on the forbidding countenance of the captain. Billy took the tiller in silence. After a little while Gaff drew his son's ear near to his mouth, and said in a low whisper-- "Billy, my lad, I _must_ have a sleep, but I dursn't do it unless you keep a sharp eye on the captain. He's after mischief, I'm quite sure o' that, so give me a tremendous dig in the ribs if he offers to rise from his seat. Mind what I say now, lad. Our lives may depend on it." Billy promised to be watchful, and in less than two minutes afterwards Gaff was sunk in deep repose. The boy was faithful to his trust. Without appearing to be watching him, he never for one moment removed his eyes so far from where the captain sat labouring at the oars as to give him a chance of moving without being seen. As time passed by, however, Billy found it difficult to keep awake, and, in proportion as this difficulty increased, his staring at the captain became more direct and intense. Of course Graddy perceived this, and the sneering smile that crossed his visage showed that he had made a shrewd guess at the cause of the lad's attentions. By degrees Billy's eyes began to droop, and he roused himself frequently with a strong effort, feeling desperately alarmed lest he should be overcome. But nature was not to be denied. Again and again did his head fall forward, again and again did he look up with a startled expression to perceive that Graddy was regarding him with a cold sardonic smile. Gradually Billy's eyes refused to convey a correct impression of what they rested on. The rower's head suddenly became twice as large as his body, a sight which so alarmed the boy that he started up and could scarce restrain a cry, but the head had shrunk into its ordinary proportions, and the sardonic smile was there as before. Oh! what would not Billy have given at that time to have been thoroughly wide-awake and fresh! He thought for a moment of awaking his father, but the thought was only half formed ere sleep again weighed dow
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