ng the boy's hand; his head was bowed,
and I judged he was praying. The others stared miserably at the floor,
or ceiling, or at each other. Aye, the taste of bitter sorrow was in
the air of the port foc'sle. I left without disturbing the silent
watchers, but I wondered at their boldness. They should have been on
deck. Mister Fitzgibbon did not give his men respite, even during the
dog-watches.

I went poking about the odd corners of the fore deck, expecting to find
my man tucked away somewhere smoking and meditating, for Newman was a
solitary fellow, very fond of his own company in his free time. I laid
the ill-success of my search to the dusk; it was past seven bells, and
although there was still a glow in the western sky, on board ship it
was quite dark and the sidelights had been out a half hour. Finally, I
decided to lay off, waylay the Nigger when he came for'ard from his
trick at the wheel, and ask him myself what was the meaning of Boston's
talk of "snitch."

Now it was no light undertaking for a foremast hand to trespass abaft
the main mast in the _Golden Bough_. There was risk in it, risk of a
beating, or worse. A man might lay aft in that ship to work, or in
obedience to orders, but for no other reason. Hell-ship discipline.

So I slipped aft without making a noise, and avoided attracting to
myself unwelcome attention from the poop. I was barefoot, and I crept
along the rail, keeping within the shadows on the lee deck. When I
came abreast the roundhouse, I darted into the black shadow it threw
upon the lee deck, and crouched there, composed to wait. My eyes were
aft, upon the break of the poop, and I was ready to take instant flight
for'ard, did discovery threaten me.

After I had lain there a moment, I noticed the figure of a man standing
motionless, flattened against the cabin wall, on my side of the deck.
He was so still he appeared to be lifeless, a part of the ship; I
looked hard before I decided it was a man. It was too dark to make out
his features, almost too dark to discern outline, but by the bigness of
the blot he made against his background I was sure the man was Newman.
What he was doing in such a position I could not guess, but I was so
sure of my man, I did not hesitate to move towards him. I even spoke
his name, in an urgent whisper.

My hiss brought a prompt response, but not the one for which I was
looking. To my surprise the fellow ran away from me; he slipped across
th