Part 46 (2/2)

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

A NOVEL FASTENING

”Coame Who's on the watch at the hatch?”

”Sam Grote, sir; but, poor lad, he can't keep awake”

”A lantern,” said Mark, laconically; and Tom Fillot trotted aft to the cabin, and caht half hidden in his breast

During his absence, Mark had stood there listening in the darkness with a peculiar shuddering sensation to the soft clinking as link passed over link; and in ih the transparent darkness, he saw a hand, which had been thrust out after the hatch had been raised a little, softly lifting and passing the cable off to the deck

Toether they went on tiptoe in the direction of the sound, the lantern being carefully screened, and then only just a ray of light allowed to shi+ne out forward

It fell upon the figure of the sailor Grote in a very peculiar attitude; for the poor fellow, unable to keep awake, had knelt close by the hatch, with his drawn cutlass point doard, resting on the cover, his two hands upon the hilt, and his forehead upon his hands--fast asleep

It was a dire offence against discipline, and a hot feeling of indignation swelled in Mark's breast against the man

But it died out as quickly as it had coainst the cover of the hatch beingcertain that any attempt to stir it must be communicated to his brain by the cutlass; and so no doubt it would have been later on He was fast asleep, but for the last two nights he had hardly closed his eyes, though utterly worn out by the day's exertion, while still suffering from his injuries

Greater reason still why Mark could not sit in judgment upon his man; he hihts passed as the ray of light was shi+fted by Tom Fillot's manipulation of the lantern, which shone directly after upon the clean white planks, with their black, well-caulked seauided the little patch of light along the boards till it fell upon a big heap of rusty chain between the and patiently someone must have been at work, and also the terrible fact that before long every link would have been removed, and in all probability the creould have been taken by surprise

For now, as Toht, it fell upon a red hand visible as far as the wrist This had been thrust out beside the edge of the cover after a portion had been hacked aith a knife, and the fingers, rust covered and strange looking, orking away, industriously easing down link after link on to the deck, their weight helping the worker, while the heap on the hatch was steadily, as it were,this for a fewthe lantern with one hand, Toht alteration of the rays of light er_! to theof the links finished suddenly with one louder clink than the rest The chain had been dropped as the hand darted in

Grote started back into wakefulness at the sound and sprang to his feet, on guard with his cutlass, while Toht in theon the weapons they held

”Yes, you're a nice 'un, you are,” growled Tom Fillot, ”Look at that

Where should we have been in another hour if we'd trusted to you?”

The man stared at the two heaps of chain, then at Toroan

”I've done it now, sir,” he faltered, in his deep bass ”I did try so hard, sir; oh, so hard, but it co up and doarn't no good I was asleep as I walked, and at last I thought if I shut _!

A sharp flash and a report made all three start back, and spread the alarreat black, bar in hand, his eyes flashi+ng, his teeth gleaer to join in any fray on behalf of those who had saved his life

”Wish my cutlash had come down heavy on the hand as fired that shot,”