that echoed afar into the surrounding
woods; but before the echoes had died away, the monster with its victim
had sunk beneath the surface; and a few bloodstained bubbles were all
that remained to mark the spot where the terrible incident had occurred.

"Served him right!" vociferated the captain, with a fearful oath;
"served him right, the good-for-nothing lumber--he's not much loss, we
can spare him, I dare say."

"Ay, ay!" assented the mate, also with the embellishment of an oath, and
then added:--

"A lesson to all runaways! If the son of a sea-cook had stayed where he
was he'd have missed that; but if the fool likes better to be in the
belly of a crocodile than the forecastle of a good ship, he's had his
choice. All I've got to say is, it's a queer craft he's chosen to ship
aboard o'."

The captain answered this sally with a horse laugh, in which he was
joined by several of the unfeeling crew; and then both mate and captain,
having restored their muskets to the rack, betook themselves once more
to their hammocks and fell asleep. The sailors, grouping round the
windlass, remained for awhile conversing upon the awful incidents that
had transpired, but the tone of the conversation proved that the
occurrence gave them but little concern. Some even laughed as they
talked; and jests were uttered as to whether Dutchy had made a will, and
who was to be heir to his "property." As the poor fellow in reality
possessed no property--his whole effects consisting of a few tattered
rags of dress, a tin platter, with an old knife, fork, and spoon--the
joke was all the more piquant, and the fellows laughed heartily at it.

It was finally agreed upon that they should "raffle" for Dutchy's "kit"
in the morning; and this point being settled, one by one dropped off,
some to sleep in their bunks in the forecastle, and others upon the deck
or in hammock slung to the spars and rigging.

All were soon asleep, and silence once more brooded over the scene. I
alone could not sleep, but stood looking over the side of the vessel, my
eyes fixed on the spot where the unfortunate man had been last seen.
There was nothing to guide the eye--not a trace of the short, sanguinary
struggle. The crimsoned froth had long since floated away, and the dark
wafer flowed on without even a ripple upon its surface; but for all that
I could still see with the eye of my fancy--that horrid picture--the
hideous monster, with its victim grasped transvers