“It is a case of must,” said Brazier. “Come, try a little fortitude, my lad.”
“But a little fortitude will not do,” said Rob drily. “It seems to me that we shall want so much of it.”
“You know our position, Rob. There, lad; let’s be trustful, and try and hope. We may not have to wait longer than to-morrow for the subsiding of the flood.”
How that night passed neither of them knew, but at last the sun rose to show that the waters, which had seemed to be alive with preying creatures, had sunk so that they could not be above four feet in depth; and just as they had concluded that this was the case Shaddy sprang up, and sat staring at them.
“Why!—what?—Have I slept all night?” he cried. “Oh, Mr Rob!”
“We both felt that you must have rest, Naylor,” said Brazier quietly.
“That’s very good of you, sir; but you should have been fairer to yourselves. Did you—?”
He stopped short.
“Hear anything in the night?” asked Rob.
“Well, no, sir, I was going to say something else, only I was ’most ashamed.”