He saw that one of the men was asleep in the prow; yet, being but a lad, he was only able to count as many as the crows—­that is, four.  So he did not notice that in the boat there was a man too many.  Nor would he have wondered, had he been told of it.  For it was not his place to wonder.  He was only sleepy, and desired to lie down after the long night alone.  Also he hoped that they had had a good catch of fish, so that he would escape being beaten.  For indeed he had taken the best of the polenta for himself before the men came—­which was as well, for if he had waited till they were finished, there had been but dog’s leavings for him.  He was a wise boy, this, when it came to eating.  Now, eating and philosophy come by nature, as doth also a hungry stomach; but arithmetic and Greek do not come by nature.  To which Henry Fenwick presently agreed.

The men went in with a good appetite to their breakfast, and left the dead man sitting alone in the prow with his hand on his brow.

So when they sat down, the boy said—­

“Why does not the other man come in?  I see him sitting there.  Are you not going to bring him in to breakfast also?” (For he wished to show that he had not eaten any of the polenta.)

Then, for a jest upon him, one of the men answered—­

“Why, is the man not here?  He is indeed a heavy sleeper.  You had better go and wake him.”

So the little boy went to the door and called, shouting loud, “Why cannot you come to breakfast?  It has been ready this hour, and is going cold!”

And when the men within heard that, they thought it the best jest in a month of Sundays, and they laughed loud and strong.

So the boy came in and said—­“What ails the man?  He will not answer though I have called my best.”

“Oh” said they, “he is but a deaf old fool, and has had too much to drink over-night.  Go thou and swear bad words at him, and call him beast and fool!”

So the men put wicked words into the boy’s mouth, and laughed the more to hear them come from the clean and innocent lips of a lad that knew not their meaning.  And perhaps that is the reason of what followed.

So the boy ran in again.

“Come out quickly, one of you,” said the lad, “and wake him, for he does not heed me, and I am sure that there is something the matter with him.  Mayhap he hath a headache or evil in his stomach.”

So they laughed again, hardly being able to eat for laughing, and said—­

“It must be cramp of the stomach that is the matter with him.  But go out again, and shake him by the leg, and ask him if he means to keep us waiting here till doomsday.”

So the boy went out and shook the man as he was bidden.

Then the dead man turned to him, sitting up in the prow as natural as life, and said—­

“What do you want with me?”

“Why in the name of the saints do you not come?” said the boy; “the men want to know if they are to wait till doomsday for you.”