He stretched out his hand with the hat in it, using it to point towards
the spot where one folding-chair stood, dimly seen, close up to the
starboard bulwark.
"Well, I see it," said Brace. "It does not seem any the worse for
coming on board without you."
"But I can't make it out," whispered the man, in a strange way. "I hung
it up in the American gent's room--the one you had, sir--and the last I
remember is seeing him sitting opposite to me across the table; and now
look there. See him?"
"No," said Brace; "I can see no him. What do you mean?"
"The American," whispered Lynton, catching the young man by the arm.
"There, can't you see him sitting in the dark yonder?"
"No," said Brace quietly. "I say, Mr Lynton, you'll be better when
you've had a good night's rest. You talk as if you could see a ghost."
"That's it, sir; that's it," whispered the man wildly. "Come away--come
away."
"Nonsense, man. There's nothing over yonder, only--"
Brace stopped short in blank astonishment, for the nearest lanthorn
turned round a little as the brig heeled over, and there, faintly seen,
and looking strangely transparent, the seated figure of the inquisitive
American seemed to loom out of the shadow.
But the startled fancy that it might be anything supernatural passed
away in an instant, and he felt ready to laugh at the superstitious
sailor, as he saw a glowing spot of light about on a level with the
figure's lips, and directly after smelt the peculiar odour of tobacco as
it was wafted to him by the warm night air.
"Come away," whispered the mate, gripping Brace's arm with painful
force.
"Nonsense," said Brace firmly. "That's how your hat came on board."
"Ugh!" ejaculated the mate, and he sent the straw hat he held whirring
away from him with all his might.
He meant to have sent it overboard, but straw hats have boomerang-like
ways of behaving peculiar to themselves, as most wearers know to their
cost; and the one in question, instead of rising and skimming like a
swallow over the bulwark and dropping into the sea, performed a peculiar
evolution, turned in the direction of the group under the awning, dived
down, rose again, just touching Sir Humphrey's ear, missing the first
mate, and striking the captain with its saw-like revolving edge just
below the chin.
"Here, hullo!" roared the latter gentleman; "what are you about?"
"Guess it warn't a bad throw, though, in the dark," said a familiar
voice, which made the captain spring to his feet with a cry of
astonishment; and the next moment the group from beneath the awning were
gathered about the imperturbable smoker seated in the folding-chair.
"That you?" shouted the captain, and the personage addressed took his
cigar slowly from his lips and emitted a great puff of vapour.
"Yes, skipper," he said coolly; "it's me," and he replaced his cigar.
"What in the name of all that's wonderful are you doing here?"
"Doing, skipper?" said the American quietly. "Smoking. Precious hot,
ain't it?"
"Hot, sir?" roared the captain; "it's nothing to what it's going to be.
How dare you? Why, you're a stowaway!"
"Am I, skipper? Well, do you know," said the American, in the most
imperturbable way, "I thought I was a lump of human fat melting slowly
away and running out on to your deck."
"How did you get here?"
"How did I get here? Why, two of your men brought me aboard last night
in your boat."
"Well, of all the impudence!"
"Now, now, now, skipper, don't get in a wax. Just act like a man, and
order me a drink, half water, half lime-juice, for my throat feels as if
it had been sanded with hot sand."
"I'll order you over the side, and set you ashore at the nearest point
of land."
"Not you, skipper. It would be like committing murder, and raise up
international difficulties."
"I don't care, sir; I'll do it. You've got the wrong man to deal with
if you think you're going to play any of your Yankee tricks with David
Banes. Here, Dellow, heave-to and man the big boat."
"Good ten miles to the shore," said the first mate in a low remonstrant
tone of voice.
"I don't care if it's twenty. I said I wouldn't take him as a
passenger, and I won't."
"Ten miles for your chaps to pull in the dark, and ten miles back," said
the American coolly: "that's twenty, and say another ten miles as
allowance for currents, which run strong, I've heard say. That's thirty
miles. Say, skipper, hadn't you better take it coolly and make the best
of it?"
"No, sir, I had not."
"But I have made up my mind to sail with you, skipper, for I reckon I
shall like this trip."
"And I reckon you will not," said the captain grimly. "You're very
sharp, sir, but you've cut yourself this time, and you're going to be
rowed ashore as soon as it's light."
"Hah, that's better, skipper. Your lads couldn't do it in the dark, and
they'd never find the brig again."
"That's right," said the captain. "I'm not going to run any risks, for
the sake of my men; but ashore you go as soon as it's light."
"And what about for the sake of me? I have heard that some of the
natives about here are the old Caribs."
"Yes, sir, regular old-fashioned savages; and you won't find any hotels,
nor captains to worry with questions."
"I've heard too that they're cannibals, skipper. S'pose they eat me?"
"So much the better for them and the worse for you. But that's your
look-out, not mine."
"Well, you are a hard nut, skipper," said the American, leaning back and
smoking away.
"I am, sir: too hard for you to crack. You're not the first loafing,
cheating stowaway I've had to deal with."
"Cheating, eh?" said the American, turning his face to Sir Humphrey and
Brace in turn. "Hark at him! I don't want to cheat. I'll pay my share
of all expenses."
"No, you won't, sir, for I won't have your money. This brig's let to
these two gentlemen for as long as they like. You've played me a dirty
trick after being told that I was engaged, and you've got to go ashore.
I see through your tricks now. You inveigled my second mate ashore to
dinner with you."
"Asked him, and treated him like a gentleman," said the American.
"You stole his straw hat."
"Nay, nay, only borrowed it, skipper."
"Stole his hat, sir."
"Say took, and I won't argue, skipper: I was obliged to."
"Left him asleep, and stole aboard in the ship's boat."
"Yes, that's right," said the American. "I thought you were going to
say I stole the boat. That's right. The men wouldn't have rowed me
aboard if it hadn't been for the mate's hat."
"And for aught you cared I might have sailed and left that poor fellow
behind--eh, Lynton?"
"That seems about the size of it," said the second mate.
"Gammon!" cried the American good-humouredly. "You're too good a
seaman, Captain Banes, to go off and leave one of your officers ashore."
"That's oil," said the captain sharply; "but I'm not going to be
greased, sir. You're going ashore: if only for playing me and my second
officer such a dirty trick."
"Say smart, not dirty, skipper."
"Dirty, sir, dirty."
"Only business, skipper. I'd made up my mind to come, and it seemed to
me the only way."
"Ah, you were very clever; but it won't do sir. You're going ashore."
"But what about that cool drink, skipper?"
"And as soon as it's light," said the captain, ignoring the request.
"Mr Dellow."
"Ay, ay, sir."
"Set the course a few miles nearer shore. No fear of a squall off
here."
"Well, I dunno, sir," said the mate. "I don't think I'd run in too
close. The water's shallow, and there's often very heavy seas closer
in."
"Be bad for an open boat, skipper," said the American.
"Very, sir," said Captain Banes. "I daresay you'll get pretty wet
before you're set ashore."
"That's bad, skipper; but I wasn't thinking of myself, but about my
traps."
"Your traps?"
"Yes, I've got a lot of tackle that won't bear wetting. Dessay there's
a ton altogether aboard."
"What!" roared the captain. "You've no goods aboard?"
"Oh, haven't I? Guns, ammunition, provisions, and stores of all sorts."
"How did they get here? Bring 'em in your pocket?"
"Nonsense. Your second mate brought 'em aboard."
"What? Here, Lynton, speak out. Have you been in collusion with this
fellow, and brought his baggage aboard?"
"Not a bag, sir," cried the mate indignantly.
"Oh, come, I like that!" said the American, laughing. "Didn't I come
and sit by you and smoke and see it all done?"
"No!" cried the second mate angrily.
"Well, you Englishmen can tell crackers when you like. What about that
big cask with the holes in?"
"That cask? Was that yours?"
"Of course it was, and all the rest of the things on that truck," said
the American coolly. "You don't suppose I should have come and sat
there to see anybody else's tackle taken on board, do you?"
"Well," broke in Brace, laughing, "judging by what I've seen of you,
sir, I should say you would."
The American turned upon him in the midst of the laugh which arose, and
said smilingly:
"All right, sir, have your joke; but when I ask questions or hang around
to see what's going on I do it for a reason. I wanted to go on this
voyage in this ship, sir: that's why I was so inquisitive; and here I
am."
"Yes," said the captain hotly, "for the present. And so you tricked my
second officer and men into bringing your baggage on board, did you?"
"Schemed it, skipper, schemed it," said the American coolly.
"Exactly. Very clever of you, my fine fellow; but look here: suppose I
make you forfeit your baggage when I set you ashore?"
"Law won't let you, skipper."
"I'm the law on board my ship," cried the captain angrily. "Suppose I
refuse to stop my vessel to get your baggage out of the hold, and that
precious cask?"
"Good, that's right, skipper--precious cask," said the American coolly.
"Precious or not precious, I shall set you ashore, and continue my
voyage, and whether it lasts one month or twelve, you may wait for your
baggage till I come back, and you may look for me wherever I am."
"You can't do it, skipper," said the American smoking away quietly.
"Oh, can't I, sir?" cried the captain. "You'll see."
"No, I shan't, skipper. It would be murder, I tell you, to set me
ashore, and double murder to sail away with my luggage."
"Bah!" cried the captain.
"You see, there's that cask. What about it?"
"Hang your cask! I'll have it thrown overboard."
"Oh, I say, you mustn't do that," cried the American, with some slight
display of energy; "the water would get in through those holes bored in
the top, and spoil the contents."
"What's that to me, sir?" cried the captain.
"Murder number three, because I have warned you not to do it in the
presence of witnesses."
"Murder!" cried the captain, looking startled. "Why, what's in it?"
"Only my servant."
"What!" came in a chorus.
"My boy--my servant," said the American coolly; "and he ought to be let
out now, or he'll be smothered. I found it very hot down there, sitting
among the boxes and chests. I dunno how he finds it, shut up in a
cask."
"_I_ say, gentlemen," said the captain, with a gasp; "is this fellow an
escaped lunatic--is he mad?"
"Not I," said the American, answering for himself; "I was, though, down
there when I got in."
"Hah! broke in," cried the captain sharply.
"That I didn't. I found the door open when I left the berth where I lay
down when I first came aboard. Pretty sort of a thick-headed chap it
was who stowed that cask. Made me mad as a bull in fly-time. There
were the holes to guide him to keep this side upwards, but he put the
poor fellow upside down. Nice job I had to turn him right in the dark,
and all wedged in among casks. I hope he ain't dead, because it would
be awkward for you, skipper."
"Look here, sir," cried Sir Humphrey angrily, while Brace stood fuming;
"do you mean to tell me in plain English that you did such a barbarous,
criminal act as to shut up a man or boy in a cask to bring him aboard
this brig?"
"Barbarous! criminal! Nonsense, sir. He liked the fun of it, and I
made him as comfortable as I could. Plenty of air-holes, cushion and a
pillow to sit on and rest his head. Plenty to eat too, and a bottle of
water to drink. I told him he'd better go to sleep as much as he could,
and he said he would. He must have been asleep when I came up a bit
ago, for I couldn't make him hear."
"Captain Banes," cried Brace excitedly, "give orders for the hatches to
be taken off at once."
"Just what I'm going to do, squire," said the captain. "Here, Dellow,
see to it. But I call you all to witness that I wash my hands of this
business. If the man's dead I'm going to sail back to port and hand
this man over to the authorities."
"We'll settle that afterwards, Captain Banes," said Sir Humphrey
stiffly.
"Right, sir; I'll lose no time," said the captain, and all present stood
looking on while, under the first mate's orders, the hatches were
opened, more lanthorns lit, and a couple of men sent below with a rope
running through a block.
"Make it fast, my lads, and be sharp," cried the mate, as he leaned over
the opening in the deck, swinging a lanthorn so that the sailors could
see to hitch the rope about the cask. "Ready?"
"One moment, sir," came from below. Then:
"Haul away."
"Keep him right side upwards, you sir," said the American coolly.
"Right side upwards, sir!" growled the captain fiercely. "You deserve
to be headed up in the cask yourself and thrown overboard."
As he spoke, the big cask appeared above the combings of the hatchway,
was swung clear of the opening, and lowered again, to come down with a
bump upon the deck.
"Here, quick," cried the captain. "Bring an axe and knock off those top
hoops."
"Nay, nay!" cried the American coolly.
"Don't interfere, sir," said Sir Humphrey; "it is to get the head out."
"I know," said the American; "but one of those borings is a round
keyhole. He'll open the head from inside if he's awake: and if he don't
I can."
"If he's awake!" said Brace bitterly.
"P'raps he isn't, for he's a oner to sleep. Stand aside, skipper."
The captain turned upon the man fiercely, but it had not the slightest
effect upon him, for he kept his cigar in his mouth and smoked away, as
he drew out a key like that used for the boot of a coach, thrust it into
one of the holes in the head, gave it a turn, and the head of the cask
opened outward in two pieces which turned upon hinges; while as the
first mate thrust forward the lanthorn he held, it was nearly knocked
out of his hand by the skull-cap-covered head which shot up, sending a
thrill of relief through the circle of lookers-on.
"Well, Dan, how goes it?" said the American.
The fresh arrival, who seemed to be a thin diminutive-looking fellow of
any age, whose perfectly smooth face looked peculiarly yellow, planted
his hands one on either side of the cask, sank down, and then sprang up
again, cleverly passed his legs over the side and landed himself--as if
shot out by a spring--upon the deck, where he stood shrinking from the
light, yawned long and widely, and then said slowly:
"Oh, all right, boss. Bit hot and sleepy. What's o'clock?"
"Time you and your precious master were over the side," cried the
captain angrily.
The man or boy, whichever he was, turned in the direction of the voice,
blinking quickly in the faint rays of the lanthorn light as if even they
dazzled him, and went on:
"Who's him, boss?"
"That, Dan? That's the captain."
Brace burst into a hearty fit of laughter, in which his brother joined,
and after a brief pause this was taken up by the two mates and followed
by the men who were looking on.
"Ho!" cried the captain angrily: "it's a capital joke. Very funny, no
doubt; but it strikes me somebody's going to laugh on the wrong side of
his mouth. Just wait till it's daylight."
"Oh, it's all right, skipper. You can't set us ashore now," said the
American, laughing.
"Can't I? Oh! we shall see about that, my fine fellow. If you think
I'm going on this voyage with a couple of lunatics on board you're
preciously mistaken. I'd sooner sail to Egypt with a cargo of black
cats."
"Hark at him," said the American merrily to Sir Humphrey and his
brother. "He likes his joke."
"Joke, sir?" cried the captain. "You'll find this no joke, Mr Yankee
Doodle."
"Go along with you, captain. Yankee Doodle knows John Bull better than
he knows himself. You're not going to make me believe you'll set me and
my man ashore and leave us in a savage place to die of starvation and
ague."
"You soon will believe it, though, sir," said the captain; but in spite
of his annoyance he could not thoroughly infuse his tones with
sincerity.
"You're only blowing, skipper, when you might be taking pity on that
poor chap of mine who's been shut up in the barrel all these hours
without giving a single squeak; and all because he'd risk anything so as
to go with his master. That's true, isn't it, Dan?"
"Yes, that's right, boss," replied the little fellow, who kept passing
his tongue over his lips.
"Hungry, Dan?"
"No, boss. Thirsty. Horrid."
"Did you finish your bottle of water?"
"No, boss; I couldn't get the cork in proper, and when I knocked it over
while I was asleep the cork came out and all the water ran away."
"Not amongst my cartridges, I hope, Dan?"
"I dunno, boss. I never see where it run to in the dark. Only know it
didn't run where I wanted it to go. I _am_ thirsty."
The second mate handed him a pannikin which he had fetched from the cask
lashed amidships, and the American's servant took it and began to drink
with avidity.
"Here, you, Lynton," cried the captain: "who ordered you to do that?"
"Common humanity, sir," said Brace quickly.
"Then it was like his uncommon impudence to order my officers about,
squire," said the captain gruffly, but without so much of his former
fierceness.
"Hah!" ejaculated the drinker, as he drained the tin; "never knowed
water was so good before. Thank-ye, mister. Ketch hold."
The second mate took the tin, and to the astonishment of all, the
uncasked servant threw himself flat upon his chest and stretched himself
out as much as he could, took a few strokes as if swimming, and then
turned quickly over upon his back, went through similar evolutions,
grunted, and stretched again.
"What's the matter, Dan?" said his master quietly.
"Taking some of the creases out, boss. That barrel warn't big enough
for a chap my size, and I feel quite curly. There's a crick in my neck,
one of my legs is bent and t'other's quite screwed."
"Oh, you'll be better soon," said the first mate.
"Yes, I'm coming right again," replied the man.
"Wait till you've had a trot or two up and down Captain Banes's deck.
You'll let him, won't you, skipper?"
"Urrrr!" growled the captain.
"Oh, come, skipper, ain't it time you left off being so waxy? You can't
set me ashore, you know; so say no more about it. I'll pay handsomely
for the trip."
"Don't talk to me," growled the captain. "That gentleman has chartered
the brig, and it's his for as long as he likes. I can't make any
bargains with you or anyone else."
"Ah, now you're talking sense, skipper. That's speaking like a man.
Well, Sir Humphrey Leigh, let's hear what you've got to say to me."
"I say that you have taken an unwarrantable liberty, and--"
"Hold hard, sir, hold hard. Let's settle that one thing first. Well,
yes, I suppose it was; but here was I with all my plans made: arms,
ammunition, stores, everything, man included--he is a man, you know,
though he's such a dried-up little chap. How old are you, Dan?"
"Thirty last birthday, boss," said the little fellow promptly.
"There, sir. Well, that's how I was. Red-hot too to get up one of
these big rivers to explore and collect everything that came in my way,
but no vessel to be had. Felt as if I must get back home when I heard
about you and the skipper here; and then I tried my best to get you to
let me go shares in the expedition, and you wouldn't. You know you
wouldn't."
"Naturally," said Sir Humphrey.
"We won't argue about that, sir. That's how I was. Amurricans when
they've got a thing to do don't turn back. It goes against their grain.
Go ahead's our motto. I started to do an expedition up a South
American river, and I'd got to do it--somehow: straightforward if I
could; if I couldn't--back way. That's how it was with me, and here I
am. It was artful, dodgy, and not square; but I couldn't help it.
There, I speak plain, and I want you now as an English gentleman to help
me with the skipper here. You see, I'm a naturalist, ready for any
amount of hard work, a reg'lar enthoosiast of travelling and collecting,
and I'll pay my share of all expenses. That's fair, isn't it?"
"Oh, yes, that's fair," said Sir Humphrey; "but we don't want you."
"Not just now, sir; but you may. You don't know what holes you may get
into up the river. Come, sir, I throw myself on your mercy. You're
captain of the expedition, and I'll serve under you. Don't send me
adrift now."
"Well, of all the enterprising, pushing men I ever encountered--" began
Sir Humphrey.
"Yes, that's it: enterprising. I am enterprising, ready to do anything
to carry out the objects I have in view. Come, sir, I promise you that
you shan't regret it."
Sir Humphrey frowned as he looked the American and his man over, and
then turned to his brother, who shrugged his shoulders and smiled.
"What do you think about this?" said Sir Humphrey.
"Don't ask me, Free," replied the young man. "I have a strong leaning
towards mercy."
"But we don't like this man well enough to make him our companion."
"No, but he may improve," said Brace.
"He may get worse," said Sir Humphrey shortly.
"I hope not," said Brace. "You see, we're started, and it would be
horrible to go back. We can't set him ashore."
"Impossible!" said Sir Humphrey decisively.
"Very well then, we must take him."
"It seems as if there is no alternative," said Sir Humphrey, frowning.
"We cannot allow the captain to set him ashore."
"He wouldn't want stopping," said Brace, laughing gently.
"You think he would not do it, Brace?"
"I'm sure he wouldn't," replied the young man. "He barks and makes a
noise, but he wouldn't bite like that."
"Well, then, we must make the best of it, Brace, for I certainly will
not turn back."
"Then you'll take him?"
"I shall give way to the extent of asking Captain Banes to let him go
with us."
"Don't," said Brace, in a low voice, as he glanced at the American and
saw that he was watching him closely.
"What! not ask him?" said Sir Humphrey. "Why, just now you were in
favour of doing so."
"So I am now, Free," said Brace, drawing his brother to the side, so
that they could be alone; "but I want you to take it entirely upon
yourself. You've chartered the brig; and it is yours. Captain Banes
is, so to speak, under your orders, you being head of this expedition."
"Quite right, Brace," replied Sir Humphrey, nodding his head, and
looking satisfied with his brother's decision.
"I should act at once as if I were fully in command, and make a stern
bargain with this American naturalist that if he comes with us it is, as
he proposed, completely under your orders."
"Exactly," said Sir Humphrey, and the brothers walked back to where
their would-be ally stood waiting patiently, and Captain Banes was
giving vent to his annoyance by growling at both mates in turn, and then
at the men for not being smarter over getting up the cask.
"Captain Banes," said Sir Humphrey.
"Sir to you," growled the captain.
"My brother and I have been discussing this business, and we come to the
conclusion that we cannot under any circumstances return to port."
"O' course not," said the captain, nodding approval.
"But on the other hand we cannot be guilty of so inhuman an act as to
set this gentleman and his servant ashore upon a wild coast, at the risk
of his life."
"Hear, hear!" cried the American, and the captain grunted.
"But, as he has chosen to take the risk and is prepared for an inland
expedition, we decide that he is quite at liberty to join ours and go
with us, on the condition that he follows out my orders as to what is
done."
"Of course--of course," cried the American. "Hear, Mr Skipper?"
"Oh, yes, I hear," said the captain.
"Then that is settled," said Sir Humphrey. "Mr Briscoe, I trust that
in the future we shall be better friends."
"No fear of that, sir," said the American quietly. "Sir Humphrey,
you're a gentleman. Mr Brace, you're another. It's going to be acts
now, not words. I only say thankye, and I want you and your plucky
young brother to believe me when I say you shan't repent your bargain a
bit."
"I believe I shall not, sir," said Sir Humphrey gravely.
"As for you, Captain Banes," continued the new member of the expedition,
"I'm going to show you that I'm not such a ruffian as you think. And
now, gentlemen, as I haven't had a wink of sleep for two nights, I'm
going to ask the skipper to let me have a berth and to give orders for
my man here to be furnished with a bunk. I've kept it up, gentlemen, as
long as I could, but now I'm dead-beat. I've been asleep in my legs for
long enough. Now it has crept up from my waist to my chest, and it's
attacking my head. In another ten minutes I shall be insensible, and
when I shall wake again is more than I know, so I'll say at once: Thank
you all--all round, and good night."
A little difficulty arose as to a berth; but this was soon solved by the
second mate giving up his in favour of a mattress upon the cabin floor,
and the brothers were left alone with the captain, who preserved an
ominous silence, till Brace spoke half-laughingly:
"You don't like the new arrangement, captain?"
There was a grunt. Then:
"Put that and that together, squire, would you if you were in command of
this brig?"
"Certainly not," said Brace quickly; "but I shouldn't have put the poor
fellows ashore."
The captain mumbled a little, and by the light of the swinging lanthorn
Brace caught a gleam of white teeth, and knew that he was laughing.
"That was what he'd call bunkum, and we call bounce, squire. Of course
I shouldn't have put him ashore. But I felt as if I meant to when I
said it."
"Then you are not so very much dissatisfied, captain?" said Sir
Humphrey.
"Yes, I am, sir, for I don't like to be bested. No man does, especially
by one of these clever 'Merican chaps. For they are clever, there's no
getting over that."
"I don't like that either," said Sir Humphrey; "but it's evident that
this man is an enthusiast in travel and natural history."
"Oh, yes, sir; but why don't he go and enthoose in somebody else's
vessel? I'm afraid you've been cutting us out an awkward job to get on
with that customer."
"I hope not," said Sir Humphrey. "He promises very fairly."
"Yes, sir, but will he perform? You see, if he was an Englishman he
might, but I never knew an American yet who liked to play second fiddle
in anything. But there, sir, you're chief, and I don't see how, short
of going back again to set him ashore, you could have done anything
else."
"Thank you, captain," said Sir Humphrey. "I did what I thought was best
under the circumstances."
"You did, sir. Squire here--Mr Brace--thought I was going to turn
rusty, I suppose."
"I did," said Brace.
"Yes, but I wasn't. I blaze up a bit when I'm put out, gentlemen, but I
soon settle down into a steady warm glow, and keep within the bars."
"Then there's an end of an awkward episode, captain," said Sir Humphrey.
"I was afraid at one time that we were going to have a tragedy."
"So was I, sir," said the captain sharply. "It's a mercy that
ugly-looking yellow monkey of a chap was not smothered in that cask. My
word! he must be a plucky fellow!"
"Or too stupid to have grasped the danger," said Brace.
The captain nodded.
"Well, you gentlemen," he said, "I'm going to stop on deck till we're a
few miles farther off the shore; so I shall keep Mr Dellow company till
it's Lynton's watch, and then I shall turn in. Good night, gentlemen,
good night."
"Good night," said the brothers in a breath.
"If you hear it come on to blow before morning, you needn't be
surprised, for I think we're going to have a bit of wind. Young Uncle
Sam was right about sending a boat ashore with him. She'd never have
made the shore, nor the brig again."
Brace looked sharply round, trying to pierce the darkness, but in vain.