I think I must have swooned away with fright, for the next thing I
recollect on coming to myself was the steward, Morris Jones, shaking me.
"Rouse up, you lazy lubber!" he roared in my ears. "Rouse up and help
me with the cap'en; he's fell down in a fit, or something!"
Then, I noticed that Jones had a ship's lantern in his hand, by the dim
light of which the cabin was only faintly illuminated; but I could see
the water washing about the floor, with a lot of things floating about
that had been carried away by the big wave coming in through the broken
port in the stern sheets, that was also plainly discernible from the
phosphorescent glow of the sea without, which every moment welled up
almost on a level with the deck above, as if it were going to fetch
inboard again and vamp us altogether.
"Wha--what's the matter?" I stammered out, half confused at the way in
which the steward shook me; and then, recollecting all that had
happened, as the fearful sight both the captain and I had seen flashed
all at once on my mind, I put my hands before my face shudderingly,
exclaiming, "Oh, the ghost! the ghost!"
"The ghost your grandmother!" ejaculated Jones, giving me another rough
hustle. "Why, boy, you ain't awake yet. I'll douse you in the water,
and give you a taste of `cold pig,' if you don't get up and help me in a
minute!"
"But I saw it," I cried, starting to my feet and looking wildly around
to see if the apparition were still there. "I saw it with my own eyes;
and so did Captain Snaggs, too!"
"Saw what?"
"The ghost of poor Sam Jedfoot."
Morris Jones laughed scornfully.
"You confounded fool, you're dreaming still!" he said, shaking me again,
to give emphasis to his words. "I should like to know what the nigger
cook's ghost were doin' in here. Where did you see his ugly phiz agen,
do you say?"
"There!" I answered boldly, pointing to the corner by the cabin door,
where, as the steward flashed his lantern in the direction, I could
still see something black and hazy waving to and fro. "Why, there it is
still, if you don't believe me!"
"Well, I'm blowed!" he exclaimed, going over to the place and catching
hold of the object that had again alarmed me. "You are a frightened
feller to be skeared by an old coat! Why, it's that Dutch second-mate
of ourn's oilskin a-hangin' up outside his bunk that you thought were
Sam's sperrit when the light shone on it, I s'pose. You ain't got the
pluck of a flea, Cholly Hills, to lose your head over sich a trifle.
There's no ghostesses now-a-days; and if there was, I don't think as how
the cook's sperrit would come in here, specially arter the way the
skipper settled him. Man or ghost, he'd be too much afeard to come nigh
the `old man' agen, with him carryin' on like that, and in sich a
tantrum. I wonder Sam hadn't more sense than to cross his hawse as he
did. I were too wary, and kep' close in my pantry all the time the row
were on, I did. I wern't born yesterday!"
"But the cap'en saw it, too, I tell you," I persisted. "He yelled out
that Sam was there before he tumbled down; and that was how I came to
look and notice the awful thing. You can believe it or not, but I tell
you I saw Sam Jedfoot there as plain as life--either him or his ghost!"
"Rubbish!" cried Jones, who meanwhile had put the lantern he carried on
the cabin table, and was proceeding to lift up the captain's head and
drag him into a sitting posture against the side of one of the settles
that ran down the cuddy fore and aft. "Just you light up one of them
swinging lamps, and then come and help me carry the skipper to his bunk.
He's dead drunk, that's what he is; and I wonder he ain't drownded,
too, lying with his nose in all thafe water sluicing round. As for the
ghost he saw, that were rum, his favour-rite sperrit. He ought to 'ave
seed two Sams from the lot he's drunk to-night--two bottles as I'm a
living sinner, barrin' a glass or two the first-mate had, and a drop I
squeezed out for myself, when I took him up some grog on deck at the end
of the second dog-watch!"
"Two bottles of rum!" I exclaimed in astonishment. "Really?"
"Aye; do you think me lying?" snapped out Jones in answer; "that is,
pretty nigh on, nearly. I wonder he ain't dead with it all. I 'ave
knowed him manage a bottle afore of a night all to hisself, but never
two, lor the matter o' that. It ought to kill him. Guess he's got a
lit of 'plexy now, an' will wake up with the jim-jams!"
"What's that?" I asked, as the two of us lifted the captain, who was
breathing stertorously, as if snoring; "anything more serious?"
"Only a fit of the horrors," said Jones nonchalantly, as if the matter
were an every-day circumstance, and nothing out of the common; "but if
he does get 'em, we must hide his blessed revolver, or else he'll be
goin' round the ship lettin' fly at every man Jack of us in turn! I'll
tell Mr Flinders to be on his guard when he comes-to, so that some one
'll look arter him."
As he spoke, the steward slung the body of the unconscious man into his
cot, I staggering as I lifted the captain's legs, which, although they
were very thin and spindleshanky, wore bony and heavy, while I was slim
and weak for my age. Besides which, the thrashing I had received the
evening previously had pretty well taken all the strength out of me,
combined with my subsequent fright from the ghost, which I could not
help believing in, despite all Jones's sneers and assertions to the
contrary. Of course, though, there was no use arguing the point with
him; he was so obstinate--like all Welshmen!
However, between the two of us, we got Captain Snaggs laid in his bed,
where he certainly would be more comfortable than wallowing about in the
water on the cabin floor. Then, Jones and I left him, just propping up
his head with the pillows, so that he should not suffocate himself. He
could not well tumble out, the cot having high sides, and swinging
besides with the motion of the ship, being hung from the deck above on a
sort of gimbal joint, that worked in a ball and socket and gave all
ways.
The steward then went back again into his bunk adjoining the pantry to
have his sleep out; but I felt too excited to lie down again.
I did not like to remain there alone in the cabin after what had passed,
listening to the thuds of the waves against the sides of the ship, and
the weird creaking of the timbers, as if the vessel were groaning with
pain, and the heavy breathing of the captain in his cot, that rose above
all these sounds, for he was snoring and snorting away at a fine rate;
so, I proceeded out on to the lower deck, experiencing a chill shudder
as I made my exit by the door where I had seen Sam Jedfoot's spectre in
the moonlight.