"Well, Jimmy," I answered, "it certainly is a most extraordinary story,
and if I didn't know you as well as I do, I should say you had taken
something more than a smoke before you turned in last night."

"I never touch a drop, sir, except when I go into Farley and have a
glass of beer, but I have not been there for more than a week now."

I confess that Jimmy's story had left a most unpleasant impression on
me. I had little doubt that the whole thing was some strange subjective
hallucination, but for a weird and ghostly experience it certainly beat
most of the tales I had ever heard. I thought for a moment--it was now
quite dark, and I felt little inclined to go on to Wotton. My keenest
interests were awakened.

"Look here," I said, "what do you say if I stay here to-night? Can you
give me a shake-down of any sort?"

"That I will, sir, and right gladly, and thank God if you will but stay
with me. If I was alone here again, and heard that voice, I believe it
would kill me. I'll tie up your boat outside, and bring your things in,
and then we'll have supper. I'll feel a new man with you staying here,
sir."

In a few minutes we were both inside old Jimmy's cosy quarters. His
whole bearing seemed to have changed suddenly, and he ran about with
alacrity, getting supper ready, and seeming quite like himself again.
During the whole evening he kept harping at intervals on the subject of
the mysterious voice, but we heard no sound whatever, and I felt more
and more certain that the whole thing was due to hallucination on the
part of the old man. At eleven o'clock a skiff came up through the lock,
and almost immediately afterwards I bade Jimmy good-night and went into
the little room he had prepared for me.

I went quickly to bed, and, tired after my long pull, despite the
originality of the situation, fell fast asleep. Suddenly I awoke--some
one was bending over me and calling me by my name. I leapt up, and, not
realising where I was for the moment, but with a sort of dim idea that I
was engaged in some exposure, instinctively seized the man roughly by
the throat. In a moment I remembered everything, and quickly released my
grip of poor old Jimmy, who was gurgling and gasping with horror. I
burst out laughing at my mistake, and begged his pardon for treating him
so roughly.

"It is all right, sir," he panted. "I hope I didn't frighten you, but I
have heard it again, not five minutes ago."

"The deuce you have," I said,