sphorus, which made it difficult to make
out lights. The mate slumbered peacefully, leaning against the weather
topgallant bulwarks. The man on the look-out shouted: "A red light on
the starboard bow!" The man at the wheel repeated it. The mate was
awakened, and went straight into a panic.

"Where is the light?"

"On the lee bow," said the helmsman.

"I think it is green," he said.

"Yes," said the helmsman; "so do I."

"No, it is not green; it is bright," said the mate.

"What do you think?"

"I think the same as you, George," said the helmsman.

The mate proceeded to rush along the deck towards the bow; each rope
tripped him up, and each fall caused him to see different-coloured
lights. After a succession of somersaults, he arrived at the fore end
of the vessel wide awake, but in a state of distraction. He called to
the look-out man to point out the light he had reported, and a deep,
sepulchral voice came from a tall figure robed in white, warning the
officer of approaching disaster because of his neglect of duty.
Suddenly a trumpet sounded, and in an instant the vision had
disappeared, and in another two men stood at the bow. They each spoke
to their officer, but he was speechless. At last he managed to jerk
out:

"Did you see that figure?"

"No," said the men.

"Then," said he in great tribulation, "it is an apparition."

The ropes were removed, and when he made his way aft nothing interrupted
his progress. What could it have been? His fear was terrific; he must
have known that something like a joke had been practised upon him, but
his superstition, together with the consciousness of having committed a
criminal breach of duty, seized the imagination and made him desire to
believe that a supernatural visitation had taken place. He was never
known to sleep on deck again, and such was the shock to his nerves I am
persuaded he did not do a great deal of sleeping below. Whether it was
owing to this or not, the poor fellow never properly regained his
equilibrium; and his judgement, never reliable before, became after
this event a negative quantity. Long years afterwards he used to be
chaffed about it, and stood it very badly. A few months since I chatted
with one of the men who with myself took part in this plot. He still
treasured it as a great diplomatic feat, and laughed immoderately at
the recollection of the poor mate's troubles, and warmly complimented
himself on the success of the enterprise, but ad