he other. Yet we were mightily keen to know even
so much as such odd scraps might tell unto us. Whereupon, George read
from the next wrapper, which ran thus:--

"Now, suddenly, I heard the Captain cry out that there was something in
the main cabin, and immediately my lover's voice calling to me to lock my
door, and on no condition to open it. Then the door of the Captain's
cabin slammed, and there came a silence, and the silence was broken by a
_sound_. Now, this was the first time that I had heard the Thing make
search through the big cabin; but, afterwards, my lover told me it had
happened aforetime, and they had told me naught, fearing to frighten me
needlessly; though now I understood why my lover had bidden me never to
leave my stateroom door unbolted in the nighttime. I remember also,
wondering if the noise of breaking glass that had waked me somewhat from
my dreams a night or two previously, had been the work of this
indescribable Thing; for on the morning following that night, the glass
in the skylight had been smashed. Thus it was that my thoughts wandered
out to trifles, while yet my soul seemed ready to leap out from my bosom
with fright.

"I had, by reason of usage, come to ability to sleep despite of the
fearsome growling; for I had conceived its cause to be the mutter of
spirits in the night, and had not allowed myself to be unnecessarily
frightened with doleful thoughts; for my lover had assured me of our
safety, and that we should yet come to our home. And now, beyond my door,
I could hear that fearsome sound of the Thing searching--"

George came to a sudden pause; for the bo'sun had risen and put a great
hand upon his shoulder. The lad made to speak; but the bo'sun beckoned to
him to say no word, and at that we, who had grown to nervousness through
the happenings in the story, began every one to listen. Thus we heard a
sound which had escaped us in the noise of the growling without the
vessel, and the interest of the reading.

For a space we kept very silent, no man doing more than let the breath go
in and out of his body, and so each one of us knew that something moved
without, in the big cabin. In a little, something touched upon our door,
and it was, as I have mentioned earlier, as though a great swab rubbed
and scrubbed at the woodwork. At this, the men nearest unto the door came
backwards in a surge, being put in sudden fear by reason of the Thing
being so near; but the bo'sun held up a hand, b