the misty river already darkening
to evening; and thus presently beheld a boat, vague and blurred at
first, but as it drew nearer saw in the stern-sheets four gallants who
laughed and talked gaily enough, and the muffled forms of two women,
and in one, from the bold, free carriage of her head, I recognised,
despite hood and cloak, my Lady Joan Brandon; nay, as the boat drew in,
I heard the sweet, vital tones of her voice, and with this in my ears I
caught up my lanthorn and so descended to the orlop. Now as I paused
at the narrow scuttle that gave down to my noxious hiding-place, I
thought to hear a step somewhere in the gloom below.

"Ha, Godby!" says I. "Are you down there, man?" But getting no
answer, I descended the ladder, bethinking me of the rats (whereof I
had no lack of company), and coming into my dog-hole, closed the
rickety door, and having supped, cast myself down upon my bed and blew
out the light, and despite the rustle and scutter away there in the
dark beyond my crazy door I was very soon asleep.

And in my sleep what must I dream of but rats with eyes that glared in
the dark, that crawled ever nearer, while one that crept upon my bosom
grew and swelled into a great fellow with a steel hook in place of one
hand, a face with flashing white teeth and glowing eyes that peered
close ere eyes and teeth vanished, and I sunk down and down into a
black emptiness of dreamless slumber.

CHAPTER XVI

TELLS HOW WE WERE DOGGED BY THE BLACK SHIP

I awoke in panic and, leaping up groped in the pitch-dark until my
eager fingers closed on the haft of the sheath-knife under my pillow,
and with this naked in my hand I crouched awaiting I knew not what; for
all about me was direful sound, groans and cries with wailings long
drawn out in shuddering complaint. Then, all at once, my panic was
lost in sudden great content, and thrusting away the knife I took flint
and steel and therewith lighted my lanthorn; since now indeed I knew
these dismal sounds nought but the creak and groan of the stout ship,
the voice of her travail as she rose to the seas. And as I hearkened,
every individual timber seemed to find a voice, and what with this and
the uneasy pitching and rolling of the ship I judged we were well under
weigh and beyond the river-mouth. This (bethinking me of the damage we
had sustained from the great black ship) set me to wondering, insomuch
that I reached for my lanthorn, minded to steal on deck that I