“Come with you, sir!” said the man to himself. “I just think I will! You don’t ketch me letting you leave me all alone by myself in this here unked old place;” and after a sharp glance in the direction of the way up, he followed his young officer on tiptoe into the room where they had left the planter asleep; and then both started back in astonishment, to stare one at the other. For the couch was vacant, and for a few minutes the surprise sealed the middy’s lips.
“Why, Tom,” he said at last, “we left that Mr Allen there asleep!”
“He’d got his eyes shut, sir,” said the sailor dubiously.
“And now he has gone, Tom.”
“Well, he arn’t here ’t all events, sir.”
“But where can he be?” cried Murray. “I did not see him come out.”
“No, sir, I didn’t neither,” said the man, shaking his head very solemnly.
“I—I can’t understand it, Tom. Can he have—”
“Gone up-stairs to get a nap there, sir, ’cause the hammocks is more comf’table?” suggested the man.
“Impossible.”