_ can ye hear
nocht?" M'Kellar, standing up on the stern-sheets, was casting wild
glances into the pall that enshrouded us. "Here! All together, men--a
shout!"

A weakly chorus went out over the water.

Silence.

Suddenly Houston stood up. "Maister, did ye hear that--a cheep!" We
thought that he was going off like Cutler; we could hear nothing. "A
cheep, Ah telt ye, Maister; a cheep, as shair's daith!" Houston was
positive. "The jerk o' a rudder, or" ... Almost on top of us there was
a flash of blinding fire, the roar of a gun followed!

We sprang to the oars, shouting madly--shaping out of the mist was the
loom of a square sail, there was sound of a bell struck. No need now
to talk of eating lifebuoys; Houston would be in time for his trick at
the wheel!

* * * * *

"What th' blazes kept ye, Mister? We saw ye pickin' th' man up! What
made ye turn t' th' norrard?" The Old Man had a note of anger in his
voice.

"Well, Sir, we couldn't see th' other buoy, an' I thought it a peety if
we didn't pick it up; an' while we were lookin' for it, we lost track
o' th' ship," said Mister M'Kellar, ashamed and miserable.

The Mate broke in, "Ye damn fool! D'ye mean t' tell us ye risked a
whole boat's crew for a tuppence-ha'penny lifebuoy? B'gad, it would
serve ye right if ye had t' go seekin' like th' Flying Dutchman!" The
Mate continued to curse such stupidity, but the Old Man, though
permitting the Mate to rail, was wonderfully silent. After all,
M'Kellar, like himself, was a Scotchman, and much may be forgiven to a
Scotchman--looking after his owners' property!

XVIII

"----AFTER FORTY YEAR!"

"Martin?" ... "_Huh!_" "Lewis?" ... "_Iss!_" "Granger?" ... "_'Ere!_"
"Ulricks?" ... "_Ya!_" "Dago Joe?" ... "_Ser!_" "'Ansen?" ... "_Yep!_"
"Bunn?" ... "_Yes!_" "Munro?" ... "_Here!_"
"Eccles?--ECCLES!--ECC--Damn your eyes, lay 'long 'ere! You goin' t'
keep awl 'ans waitin'?" Eccles joined us fumbling with the buttons of
his jacket. (Eccles, for the time limit!) "Awl 'ere," continued the
bo'sun; then reported to the Mate, "Watch is aft, Sir!"

A surly growl that might have been, "Relieve the wheel and look-out,"
came from the poop, and we were dismissed muster; the starboard watch
to their rest; we of the port to take our turn on deck.

It was a cold, raw morning that fell to our lot. A light wind, blowing
from north of west in fitful puffs, scarcely slanted the downpou