ntest loom of the nearest islands; while,
if it had not been for a faintly glimmering light here and there, we
could not have told that there were any craft of any kind in our
neighbourhood. There had been no repetition of those strange, weird
sounds that had startled us all earlier in the night, so Kennedy
informed me; but he was still firmly convinced that they had emanated
from the banshee, and when I laughingly tried to argue him out of his
conviction he took me up rather sharply with the assertion that, had I
been of Irish birth or extraction, I would know better than to make
light of the matter. To my amazement, he seemed quite depressed and
low-spirited at the mere mention of it, so I quickly dropped the subject
and asked him if during his watch he had observed anything to confirm
his earlier suspicion that we might possibly be attacked. He admitted
that he had not, but added:

"I niver expected to see annything so long as the light lasted. It's
now that they'll be beginnin' to make a musther if those ginks mane
comin' off to us at all, so for the love o' Mike keep your eyes skinned
and your ears wide open all through your watch. We can keep them off
aisily, if we only get warnin' enough; but if by anny chance they can
conthrive to creep up close enough to take us unawares and lay us
aboard, they may take the ship through sheer force av numbers."

"Why," said I, "you talk as though you felt absolutely certain that an
attack will be made upon the ship! I can't understand you a bit
to-night, and that's a fact."

"Faith, boy, I cannot undherstand mesilf," replied Kennedy, seriously.
"I've never before felt as I do this blessed night; but somehow I _know_
that something's goin' to happen. And then, there's the banshee--"

"Oh," I interrupted, "banshee be hanged! I thought you were much too
sensible a fellow to be moved by superstitions of any kind. Now, take
my advice--you've got a touch of the sun. Go down to the doc, get him
to give you a good stiff dose of quinine, and turn in. You'll feel a
different man when you are roused at eight bells and find that the ship
is all right. And as to anything creeping up and taking us unawares,
you may trust me to see that nothing of that sort happens. I will keep
a bright look-out, never fear."

"Well, I hope ye will, that's all," returned Kennedy, as he stepped
toward the head of the poop ladder on his way below. "And, by the by,
there's one precaution ye ma