“I—I—what time is it?” said Oliver confusedly. “Anything the matter?”
“Matter!” said the mate. “Here, Smith, my lad, rouse!”
“Rouse up it is, sir!” cried the man, scrambling to his feet. “My trick? Eh? Oh, all right. Just dropped asleep.”
“I couldn’t for the moment recall where I was,” said Oliver, “Thank goodness you have all come. We could do nothing, and sleep overcame us at last.”
“Then you have heard nothing of poor Wriggs?” said Panton, who was one of the group that surrounded them.
“Nothing,” replied Oliver.
“And never will, I’m afraid,” said Mr Rimmer.
“Don’t say that,” cried Oliver, who was full of excitement now. “Have you just come?”
“Yes, and found you both lying here asleep, as if nothing were wrong,” said Drew, who, like the others, carried a lantern. “We had a terribly long struggle to get out of the cavern, for our last piece of candle soon came to an end, and then it was very hard work to get back to the ship in the dark.”
“Dark? Was it evening?”