The sleep of perfect health is dreamless, and is not easily aroused by external disturbance. Tim O'Rooney, Elwood Brandon and Howard Lawrence, sweetly forgetful of the need of their being within sight and hearing of the shore, slept through the entire day without once awaking. The sun was just dipping beneath the Pacific when Howard opened his eyes with that confused, indistinct recollection which often takes possession of our faculties when first aroused from a deep slumber. He stared around and the sight of the unconscious forms of his two companions, and the mute Newfoundland dog with his nose between his paws, but blinking as if to show he "slept with one eye open," quickly recalled his situation. In considerable alarm, he sprung up, and began rousing the others. As they rubbed their eyes and rose to the sitting position, he said in excitement:
"Do you know we have slept ever since morning?"
"It can't be possible!" exclaimed Elwood.
"I should say we had slept a waak be the token of the hunger I feels," said Tim, with a most woeful countenance.
"I don't see any likelihood of our getting anything to digest in these parts," replied Howard.
"And where else shall we look for the same?"
"Nowhere that I know of."
"Suppose some ship has stopped here while we have been asleep!" suddenly interrupted Elwood.
"Wouldn't they have looked for us? But then they couldn't have known where we were," said Howard, asking and answering his own question in the same breath.
"We are in a pretty fix then," was the comment of Elwood, laughing at the doleful countenances he saw.
"Boys," said Tim, hitching up his pantaloons and scratching his head, "shall I tell yees something to your advantage, as the papers say?"
"Of course," answered Howard, "nothing could suit us better."
"Well, then, while we've been slaaping, our friends along shore have been carried away, and we're lift to make ourselves comfortable, as the peddler said when he hung himself up by his foot."
"Let us see!" exclaimed Elwood, "perhaps we are not too late yet."
The three rushed ever the rocks pell-mell, the dog being at their side, and giving vent now and then to short, sharp barks, as if he enjoyed the ramble.
Elwood was at the head, and had run but a short distance when he sprung upon a bowlder higher than the others, and shading his eyes for a moment as he looked off toward the sea, he called back:
"Yes, yonder they are! We are not left alone."
"But it's good to have company!" laughed Tim, "it won't be long before some vessel will step in and lift us aboard."
"How odd they look!" remarked Elwood, as his friends clambered up beside him. "They don't seem dressed in their usual fashion."
The Irishman, upon rising to his feet on top of the rock, uttered an expression of surprise, looked intently toward the sea, and then quickly sprung back again.
"Off of there quick!" he commanded in a hoarse whisper, at the same time catching the shoulder of the up-climbing Howard and forcing him back again.
"Why, what's the matter?" asked Elwood, a vague alarm taking possession of him, as he rather hurriedly obeyed him.
"May the good Lord presarve us! them are Injuns!"
"'May the good Lord preserve us! them are Injuns,' said Tim."
"I thought they looked odd," said Elwood, "but I did not think of that. Are they friendly?"
"Friendly!" repeated Tim, with an expression of intense disgust. "Do you know what they are walking up and down th............