Guard roused up at our feet to scratch himself, then snuggled down again.

The wind howled dismally, throwing down gusts of rain.

It dripped and pattered off the skin-covering on to the boat and on to the rocks.

Now and then a faint scream from high aloft declared the passage of some lonely seabird; and the ceaseless swash and plash of the sleepless sea filled out in my mind a picture of home-sick misery.

It is no time, or at least the worst of all times, to reflect on one's woes in the night when just awakened from dreams: better turn over and go to sleep again.