"More ways than one o' killing a dog."

"Talking about the dogs," said the other surlily. "You are making yourself a marked man, my friend. Take care. Who are these--the two who have been in hospital, Mr Groves?"

"I suppose so," was the reply.

"What's the matter with you?" said the overseer--for such he proved to be--addressing Pete. "Jump up."

Pete softly lifted Nic's head from his knee and rose quickly.

"Was cut down, sir," said Pete; "but I'm getting better fast now."

"Good job for you. Now, you, sir; wake up."

The overseer raised the whip he held, to make a flick at Nic as he lay soundly asleep; but Pete stepped forward to save his companion, and in bending over him received the slight cut himself without flinching, though the lash made him feel as if he had been stung.

"He has been a'most dead, zir," said Pete sharply; "but he's getting better now fast. Hasn't got his zenses, though."

"Wake him up, then," said the overseer sharply; "and you can get your meal now.--Here, my lads, bring that stuff here and serve it out."

Pete obeyed the order given, and began by gently shaking Nic, who made no sign. Pete shook him again more firmly, starting violently the next moment, for, unnoticed, one of the great hounds had approached him and lowered its muzzle to sniff at the prostrate man.

Pete's first instinctive idea was to strike fiercely at the savage-looking intruder, but fortunately he held his hand and bent over his companion wonderingly, and hardly able to believe what he saw; for as the dog nuzzled about Nic's face, the young man, partly aroused by the shaking, opened his eyes, looked vacantly at the brute for some moments, and then, as if his intellectual powers were returning, he smiled, the animal stopping short and staring down at him closely.

"Well, old fellow," he said gently; "whose dog are you?"

Pete looked up sharply, and saw that every one's attention was centred on the basket and pitcher, the two men serving out the provisions and their two superiors looking on.

Then he glanced back again, to see in horror that Nic had raised his hand to the dog's muzzle, and followed that up by taking hold of and pa.s.sing the animal's long, soft ears through his hand.

Pete would have seized the dog, but he felt paralysed by the thought that if he interfered he might make matters worse; and then his heart seemed to rise in his throat, for the great hound uttered a deep, short bark, which had the effect of bringing the others to its side.

"Quiet, you, sirs!" cried their master, but he did not turn his head, and the three dogs now pressed round Nic, the first planting his fore-paws on the young man's chest, blinking at him with his jaws apart and the long red tongue playing and quivering between the sets of keen milk-white teeth, evidently liking the caresses it received, and of which the other two appeared to be jealous, for they suddenly began to whimper; and then the first threw up its head, and all three broke into a loud baying.

"Quiet, there!" roared Saunders, and he turned sharply now, saw what had taken place, and came back cracking his whip. "Ah!" he shouted. "Get back! How dare you?"

The dogs growled, stood fast, and barked at him loudly.

"Good boys, then!" cried Saunders. "Yes, it's all right; you've found him. There, that will do."

The dogs began to leap and bound about the place, while their master turned to Pete.

"Why didn't you call me?" he said. "Have they bitten him?"

"No; haven't hurt him a bit," said Pete quietly.

"Lucky for him," said the man. "There, you see what they're like, and know what you have to expect--What?"

"I said, are they your dogs?"

Pete stared, for it was Nic who spoke, perfectly calmly, though in a feeble voice.

"Yes," replied Saunders. "Why?"

"I could not help admiring them. They are magnificent beasts."

"I am glad you like them, sir," said Saunders, with a mocking laugh; and he turned and strode away, to order the men to take some of the food they had brought to the other two prisoners, leaving Nic gazing after him.

"Rather brusque," he said, half to himself, and then he pa.s.sed his hand over his eyes, drew a long, deep, restful breath, and turned over as if to go to sleep again; but he started up on his elbow instead as he encountered Pete's face, and a look of horror and dislike contracted his own.

"You here?" he said wonderingly.

"Hush! Don't speak aloud, dear lad," whispered Pete excitedly.

"Dear lad?"

"Master Nic Revel, then. You haven't quite come-to yet. You don't remember. You were took bad again after being bad once--when you asked me questions aboard ship, and I had to tell you."

"Taken bad--aboard ship?"

"Here you are; catch hold," said a voice close to them; and one of the men handed each half a small loaf, while his companion filled a tin mug that must have held about half-a-pint, and offered it to Nic.

The young man had let the great piece of bread fall into his lap, but the gurgling sound of the water falling into the mug seemed to rouse a latent feeling of intense thirst, and he raised himself more, took the vessel with both hands and half-drained it, rested for a few moments, panting, and then drank the rest before handing the tin back with a sigh of content.

"No, no; hold it," said the man sharply; and Nic had to retain it in his trembling hands while it was refilled.

"There, give it to your mate," said the water-bearer.

The two young men's eyes met over the vessel in silence, Nic's full of angry dislike, Pete's with an appealing, deprecating look, which did not soften Nic's in the least.

"Well, why don't you take it?" said the man with the pitcher.

"Don't seem to kinder want it now," replied Pete hoa.r.s.ely.

"Drink it, man, and don't be a fool. You'll be glad of it long before you get there. Sun's hot yet, and the water's salt for miles, and then for far enough brackish."

Nic looked at the speaker wonderingly, for the blank feeling seemed to be coming with the forerunner of the peculiar sensation of confusion which had troubled him before, and he looked from one to the other as if for help; while Pete took the mug and drained it, but contented himself with slipping his bread inside the breast of his shirt, and stood looking down at Nic, whose lips parted to speak, but no words came.

"Seem decent sort of fellows," said the water-bearer, as he turned off towards the door with his companion; and the dogs rose to follow them, sniffing at the basket.

"Yes, poor beggars!" said the other. "Whatever they've been up to in the old country, they've got to pay pretty dearly for it now."

Nic's hearing was acute enough now, and he heard every word.

"Here, you," he gasped painfully. "Call them back."

"What for, Master Nic?" said Pete in an appealing whisper. "Don't; you mustn't now. Ask me for what you want."

"I want to know what all this means," panted the young man. "Why am I here? What place is this? I'm not--I will know."