"And why should I be left out?" exclaimed Loyola, in an injured voice.
After a great deal of argument, in which even Jim joined, it was decided that if she chose Loyola could keep Jack's watch with him, whilst Broncho joined Tari.
So, this knotty point settled, whilst Jack and Loyola shared the sternsheets the others turned in on the flooring-boards, and were soon sleeping heavily the deep sleep of exhaustion.
The night passed uneventfully. The breeze held steady with a long, smooth sea, over which the whaleboat bowled along with the sheet well aft, making good speed and dropping the dago's boat fast; but slowly and surely the schooner crept up, though it was four bells in the middle watch before she picked up her boat.
Soon after a small coral reef with a few palms on it was passed to windward.
As the first light of dawn spread high over the east, the sleeping boat's crew were awakened by the wild, deep cry of the Kanaka:
"Sail-ho! sail-ho!"
In a moment these magic words had roused the tired sleepers into a wide-eyed wakefulness.
"Whar?" burst out Broncho.