"Well, Graham," he said in answer to my look, "you must make the best of
a bad job. These two fellows have turned in first, so, as you're the
last comer you've only got Dobson's choice in the matter of bunks--that
top one there, which seems a little less crowded than the other, or
nothing."
"I'm so weary," I replied, "I can sleep anywhere. I don't mind."
"Then, in you go," cried he, giving me a hoist up, while he covered me
over with a blanket which he pulled off young Weeks, that worthy having
with his customary smartness appropriated mine as well as his own. "Are
you all right now?"
"Yes--th-ank you," I answered, closing my eyes; "g-ood night, sir."
"Good night, my boy."
"Goo-goo-oo-ah!" I murmured drowsily, falling asleep in the middle both
of a yawn and of my sentence, only to wake again the next moment--it
seemed to me--from a horrible dream, in which I was assailed by a crowd
of savages, who were dancing round me with terrible cries and just going
to make an end of me, for they were pulling and hauling away at me and
shaking me to pieces!
And, strange to say, my first waking impression appeared to confirm the
story of my dream; for there really was an awful noise going on all
round and a yellow tawny face was bending over me looking into mine, all
the yellower from the bright sunlight that streamed through the open
door of the cabin fall upon it, while the owner of the face was shaking
me and calling out close to my ear in a strange dialect, "Hi, lilly
pijjin, rousee and bittee!"