the air we
breathed, something electric and vitalizing. There was an immediate
let down of the nervous tension that had gripped us, a common sigh, and
a half-hysterical snigger from some fellow behind me. Mister
Fitzgibbon seemed to come out of a trance; he shook himself, and stared
at Sails and then at Chips. He glared across the deck at us of the
starboard watch. He even swore. But there was no life to his curse,
and he made no step to follow the defiant stiff into the foc'sle.
Instead, he went to the job at hand, and quite obviously sought to
regain mastery and self-respect by sulphuric blustering towards the men
bent over the ropes. He was a defeated man. He knew it, and we knew
it.

A hand fell upon my shoulder. Newman stood behind me.

"A brave act and a brave man," said he. "But they will not let him
keep his triumph." After a pause he added, "They dare not."

CHAPTER XIV

I seized Newman's arm and led him aside, intending to impart my news.
But eight bells struck, and while they were striking, Mister Lynch's
voice summoned the starboard watch to assist in the job the mate had
started. We hurried aft with the crowd, and I found chance to say to
him no more than,

"Be careful; someone is spying upon you. Boston told me--and I saw
him."

"Who?"

"I couldn't see. It was too dark, and he cleared out on the run. Ask
the Nigger."

When we had belayed, the watch was relieved, and Newman went aft to the
wheel. Lynch kept the rest of us on the jump, as ever, and I had no
chance to steal a word with the Nigger when he came forward. At four
bells I relieved the wheel. I found Captain Swope and the mate pacing
the poop with their heads together. As I took over the wheel, Newman
whispered to me, "Keep your weather eye lifted for squalls, Jack!"

I did not need his warning; the mere presence of either of the pair was
sufficient to keep any sailorman wide awake and watchful of his _p's_
and _q's_ while steering her. There was nothing uncommon about the Old
Man's presence; he was in the habit of appearing on the poop at all
hours of the night, though he never went forward. But for the mate to
give up his sleep in fair weather was unprecedented. There was
something in the carriage and attitude of the two, as they slowly paced
fore and aft, or stood at the break staring forward, that gave me a
feeling of impending disaster. Aye, I could smell trouble coming.

Captain Swope could smell it