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