n up t

the fore-hatch. No one was about the maindeck. The night was exceedingly fine; a

ard the Second

ing, there! Who's

nd listened. There succe

e came again. He was e

? What the hell are you d

poop. The Second Mate was standing by the starboard ladder. He appeared to be looking u

ou blasted sojer, come

nd then, all at once, a thought came to me. The figure Tammy and I had seen. Had the Second Mate seen something-someone? I hurried on, and then stopped, suddenly. In the same moment there came the s

e met us

and find out who that damned fool is

igging. I joined them, and the rest were proceeding to follow; but the Second sh

ammy, whose time-keeping it was, to get down on to the maindeck w

ered," I heard him explain. "If you see a

hesi

the Second

Tammy, and went dow

shrouds; his head was above the top, and he was

?" asked Plummer, t

nd climbed over the top, and

futtock rigging, and stopped to expectorate. I

said. "What's 'e seen? '

he chaps on the lee side were about level with us. Under the foot of the topsail

as far more curiosity and, perhaps, a certain consciousness of the strangeness of it all. I kn

' stowaway," one o

ous. I had seen nothing this time. What could the Second Mate have seen? I wondered. Were we chasing fancies, or was there really someone-something real, among the shadows above us? My thoughts returned to that thing, Tammy and I had seen near the log

n suddenly. One of the men wa

im!" He was pointing

the man abov

. "It is real then," I said to myself. I screwed my head round, and looked along the yar

caught the Sec

t him?" he w

ng out the lowest

im, Sir,"

't!" I

is agen,

nt rigging, and he was poi

Quoin. That's

as Jock's, and there was a burs

ng, just below the yard. He had gone straight away

id, again, "And I'm thinking

an to

e's no one

e said,

Mate ran down off the poop. He came

im?" he asked

n't anyone

ething!" he continued, angrily, and glancing

eplied, speaking for the lo

looked ro

" he asked, c

an assenti

wasn't over the top when I first spotted him. There's no m

answered. "Jock went ri

ply; but went aft a few steps and looked up t

anyone coming down from the ma

they answe

r to himself, "I'd have spo

who it was you saw?" I

d at me,

" he

ile we all stood about in silenc

med, suddenly. "But I ought to

nd eyed us i

ll here?"

a chorus. I could see t

e spok

go into your place and see if the other fellows are

he turned to the

s'le," he said. "Count the other wa

Hole, to tell the Second Mate that the other two 'prentices were sound asleep in their bunks. Whereupon

me aft, and reported that all the m

he Second

Sir," he

ate made a q

erth," he said, abruptly. It was plain

arn yet, Mr. Second Mat

ering to what concl

to say that the Carpenter, Sailmak

go down into the saloon to see whether the First and

ted off; t

Old Man's place, Sir, while

u, and then come and tell me. If anyone's to g

r," and skipped away

the Steward was in his berth, and that he wanted to know

early a minute. Then he turned to u

the poop, and went up to the Second Mate. I heard him say that the two Mate

the Ol

ld you-" the Se

ammy said. "His ca

aft. I caught a fragment of a

for the whol

the poop. I did n

ers. As we neared the fo'cas'le, one bell went, and we roused

be rocky," one o

ty winks on the break, an' dreemed 'is mother

yself smiling along with the rest; though I had no reason

he one who had suggested it before, remark to one of the

rned Stubbins. "Stowaways ha

I wish I 'ad arsked the Seco

chipping in. "What would a stowaway want aloft? I

," said Stubbins. He lit his

ll ther same," he remarked

I was quiet for a while, listening to

d spoken to me about "shadders." He was sitting in his

across

t, Williams?" I asked.

lly saw

a sort of gloomy suspi

by his silence; but to

w moments,

understand what you meant that night, w

his pipe from out of his mouth, a

se," I said. "There

his bunk, extending his hand and pipe.

, and looked at me, strugglin

" I pr

expression altered suddenly from doubt, and something els

spo

don't tike er piy-diy out of

him, with

th your getting a pay-d

d, with a sort of

ere," h

ait

indicated with his hand a

in 'Frisco

an withart er cent of

ended him

," I hesitated; the

; but sai

they all

tapping out his pipe on t

ers and the Sk

got out of his bunk; for