Bill sat there, staring at the water. The fish weren't biting today. They hadn't bitten for him all day. He wiggled his fishing rod back and forth, tracing figure eights in the water with his fishing line.

This was the most boring job he'd ever taken. The captain was worse than the old schoolmaster, insisting on "quiet" and "order" and not even letting him talk to his friends.

He softly kicked the side of the boat.

"Psst!" his friend John said, elbowing him.

Bill jerked out of his reverie and looked around.

"Captain's gone belowdecks," his friend Robert said in a half whisper.

"Hope he hits his head and knocks himself out," Bill said - probably too loudly, he realized too late.