But all this was as nothing to the mentally and bodily exhausted lads.

Nature was all-powerful, and by degrees the head of first one then of the other drooped, and sleep, deep and sudden, fell upon them.
But the sleep was not then profound.

The mind still acted like the flickering of a candle in its socket, and urged them to start up wakeful and determined once more.

And this happened again and again, the sufferers telling themselves that it would be madness to go to sleep.
But, madness or no, Nature said they must; and almost simultaneously, after seating themselves in the bottom of the boat, so as to prop themselves in the corners between the thwart and side, they glided lower and lower, and at last lay prone in the most profound of slumber, totally unconscious of everything but the great need which would renew with fresh vigour their exhausted frames..