t on board
mysterious and unaccountably large.

"Wot a night for a ghost story," observed Jim Scroggles, who stood with
a group of the men, who were seated on and around the windlass.

"I don't b'lieve in ghosts," said Dick Barnes stoutly, in a tone of
voice that rendered the veracity of his assertion, to say the least of
it, doubtful.

"Nother do I," remarked Nikel Sling, who had just concluded his culinary
operations for the day, and sought to employ his brief interval of
relaxation in social intercourse with his fellows. Being engaged in
ministering to the animal wants of his comrades all day, he felt himself
entitled to enjoy a little of the "feast of reason and the flow of soul"
at night:

"No more duv I," added Phil Briant firmly, at the same time hitting his
thigh a slap with his open hand that caused all round him to start.

"You don't, don't you?" said Tim Rokens, addressing the company
generally, and looking round gravely, while he pushed the glowing
tobacco into his pipe with the point of a marline-spike.

To this there was a chorus of "Noes," but a close observer would have
noticed that nearly the whole conversation was carried on in low tones,
and that many a glance was cast behind, as if these bold sceptics more
than half expected all the ghosts that did happen to exist to seize them
then and there and carry them off as a punishment for their unbelief.

Tim Rokens drew a few whiffs of his pipe, and looked round gravely
before he again spoke; then he put the following momentous question,
with the air of a man who knew he could overturn his adversary whatever
his reply should be--

"An' why don't ye b'lieve in 'em?"

We cannot say positively that Tim Rokens put the question to Jim
Scroggles, but it is certain that Jim Scroggles accepted the question as
addressed to him, and answered in reply--

"'Cause why? I never seed a ghost, an' nobody never seed a ghost, an' I
don't b'lieve in what I can't see."

Jim said this as if he thought the position incontestable. Tim regarded
him with a prolonged stare, but for some time said nothing. At last he
emitted several strong puffs of smoke, and said--

"Young man, did you ever _see_ your own mind?"

"No, in course not."

"Did anybody else ever see it?"

"Cer'nly not."

"Then of course you don't believe in it!" added Rokens, while a slight
smile curled his upper lip.

The men chuckled a good deal at Jim's confusion, while he in vain
attempted