the skipper, shutting him up in a
twinkling; and then, turning to me again, he looked at me inquiringly.
"Well, Haldane, have you thought it out?"

"Yes, captain, I have," I replied firmly, though respectfully, the ill-
timed interference of the objectionable Mr Spokeshave having made me as
obstinate as Mr Fosset. "It was no optical illusion or imagination on
my part, sir, or anything of that sort, I assure you, sir. I am telling
you the truth, sir, and no lie. I saw that ship, sir, to leeward of us
just now as clearly as I can see you at this moment; aye, clearer, sir!"

"Then that settles the matter. I've never had occasion to doubt your
word before during the years you've sailed with me, my boy, and I am not
going to doubt it now."

So saying, Captain Applegarth, putting his arm on my shoulder, faced
round towards the first mate and Spokeshave, as if challenging them both
to question my veracity after this testimony on his part in my favour.

"This ship, you say, Haldane," then continued the skipper, proceeding to
interrogate me as to the facts of the case, now that my credulity had
been established, in his sharp, sailor-like way, "was flying a signal of
distress, eh?"

"Yes, sir," I answered with zest, all animation and excitement again at
his encouragement. "She had her flag, the French tricolour, I think,
sir, hoisted half-mast at her peak; and she appeared, sir, a good deal
battered about, as if she had been in bad weather and had made the worst
of it. Besides, cappen--"

I hesitated.

"Besides what, my boy?" he asked, on my pausing here, almost afraid to
mention the sight I had noticed on the deck of the ill-fated ship in the
presence of two such sceptical listeners as Mr Fosset and my more
immediate superior, the third officer, Spokeshave. "You need not be
afraid of saying anything you like before me. _I'm_ captain of this
ship."

"Well, sir," said I, speaking out, "just before that mass of clouds or
fog bank came down on the wind, shutting out the ship from view, she
yawed a bit off her course, and I saw somebody on her deck aft."

"What!" cried the skipper, interrupting me. "Was she so close as that?"

"Yes, sir," said I. "She did not seem to be a hundred yards away at the
moment, if that."

"And you saw somebody on the deck?"

"Yes, cap'en," I answered; "a woman."

He again interrupted me, all agog at the news.

"A woman?"

"Yes, sir," said I. "A woman, or rather, perhaps a girl