After two hours had been passed in moving slowly to and fro, hearing the word "_Akka_," and seeing nothing but grey sand, Sailor Bill began to feel weary, and now regretted that the old sheik had honoured him with his confidence. For the first hour of his watch he had kept a good look-out to the eastward, and had given the whole of his attention to his sentinel's duty. Gradually his intense alertness forsook him, and he began to think or the past and future. Themes connected with these subjects seldom troubled Bill, his thoughts generally dwelling upon the present; but, in the darkness and solitude in which he was now placed, there was but little of the present to arrest his attention. For the want of something else to amuse his mind, it was turned to the small cannon he was carrying in his hand. "This 'ere thing," thought he, "ain't o' much use as a pistol, though it might be used as a war-club at close quarters. I hope I shan't 'ave to fire it hoff. The barrel is thin, and the bullet hinside it must be a'most as large as an 'en's hegg. It 'ud be like enough to bust. Preaps 'tain't loaded, and may 'ave been given to me for amusement. I may as well make sure about that." After groping about for some time, the sailor succeeded in finding a small piece of stick, with which he measured the length of the barrel on the outside; then, by inserting the stick into the muzzle, he found that the depth of the barrel was not quite equal to its length. There was something inside therefore, but he was positive there was no ball. He next examined the pan, and found the priming all right. "I see 'ow 'tis," muttered he, "the old sheik only wants me to make a row with it, in case I sees anything as is suspicious. He was afeared to put a ball in it lest I should be killin' one of themselves. That's his confidence. He only wants me to bark without being able to bite. But this don't suit me at all, at all. Faix, I'll find a bit of a stone and ram it into the barrel." Saying this, he groped about the ground in search of a pebble of the proper size; but for some time could find none to his liking. He could lay his hand on nothing but the finest sand. While engaged in this search he fancied he heard some one approaching from the side opposite to that in which he was expecting to hear the word "_Akka_." He looked in that direction, but could see nothing save the grey surface of the sea-beach. Since being on the desert Bill had several times observed the Arabs lay themselves along the earth to listen for the sound of footsteps. This plan he now tried himself. With his eyes close to the ground, the old sailor fancied he was able to see to a greater distance than when standing upright. There seemed to be more light on the surface of the earth than at four or five feet above it; and objects in the distance were placed more directly between his eyes and the horizon.