I 
WE IMAGINE OURSELVES COMFORTABLE. 3G5 
more guilty than ever, and, to hide his confusion, sud- 
denly discovered an imaginary coal-vein in the precipit- 
ous side of the mountain on our right. 
“Never mind finding any more coal,” I observed: 
“what I want you to do now is to take two of the crew 
with you and go and stay by the boat until the tide rises, 
then bring her up along the beach as the water deepens. 
The rest of us will go back by tlie fire until then, and 
meet you as you come up.” So we saw him fairly started 
for the boat, and then retraced our steps to the fire, where 
we piled on more coal, gathered closely around it, and 
tried to imagine ourselves in a very comfortable situation. 
By-and-by, as we were thus seated around the blazing 
pile, limbs began to feel less weary under the influence of 
returning wannth, eyes began to grow heavy in about 
the same proportion, heads began to bob spasmodically 
from side to side, and even the breathing of some became 
lieavy and regular. Not a word had been spoken for 
I can’t say ho-w long; for mine was one of those boh- 
hiiig heads, and time had assumed a most misty appear- 
ance in its drowsy chambers. 
Suddenly we wore aroused by shouts away down the 
beach; and, springing to our feet, w^e found that night was 
fast closing around us, that the fire had l)urned quite low, 
and that hurried feet were approaching us from the direc- 
tion of the boat. Excited voices, too, were borne to us 
upon the damp night-air, telling of something wrong 
that had occurred, and serving to awaken us most effec- 
tually. The next moment the breathless coxswain and 
Ills two companions burst around a near point, running 
