e deck (padding noiselessly, for he was barefoot, like, myself) and,
bending nearly double, scurried for'ard beside the weather rail.

I stared after him, undecided what to do. The man looked like Newman,
but he did not act like him. I had half a mind to pursue his flitting
figure.

Then all at once I discovered I must take cover myself. I heard the
mate's voice, up on the poop; he was hailing his tradesmen.

"We'll take a whirl for'ard," says he. "I'll give the bums a sweat at
the braces so they won't think I'm asleep."

I had moved away from the shadow of the round-house, and was revealed,
as I stood, to any eye looking over the poop rail. I was in a ticklish
position altogether. If braces were to be tightened, the lee of the
roundhouse would be a poor hiding-place for me. In fact it would be no
hiding-place at all. But get out of sight I must, and quickly, or
suffer the unpleasant consequences of discovery.

I heard boots clumping on the poop deck. There wasn't time for me to
escape forward. So I darted aft and flattened myself against the cabin
wall, in exactly the same position, and in very nearly the same spot,
as that occupied by the fellow I had scared away. I was not a second
too soon. Sails and Chips came down the port ladder, and paused on the
main deck, almost within arm's reach of me, waiting for the mate to
join them.

If they had glanced in my direction they must have seen me. But they
were looking forward, and were also occupied with talk.

Said Chips, "But what's the game? He's working up trouble, that's
plain. But what's he after this time?"

Said Sails, "He's after that fellow in the Greaser's watch, or I'm a
damn bad guesser. But, his game--well, ask me something easy. Did you
ever know anybody to fathom his game?"

This I heard with one ear. At the same time my other ear was getting
filled with different kind of talk. Aye, my post was between two
conversations, and I found myself eavesdropping in two directions.

This wall I hugged was the forward wall of the sail-locker, which, in
the _Golden Bough_, was a large room in the cabin space, and as I
stood, my starboard ear was but a few inches distant from the
sail-locker door. This door was in two parts, and the upper half was
barely ajar. Through this narrow slit I heard--I couldn't help
hearing--the murmur of low-voiced talk. Two people were in the
sail-locker, talking. Oh, aye, I had discovered Newman. I recognize