ye. I ain't seed Tom
Bullover yet; so ye're the fust I hev told o' the sperrit hauntin' us
agen, Cholly."

"Do you think it's gone yet?" I asked; "perhaps it is still there."

"I dunno," he replied. "P'raps ye'd best go fur to see. I'm jiggered
if I will!"

I hesitated at this challenge; it was more than I bargained for.

"It's all dark now," I said, glancing towards the galley, from which no
gleam came, as usual, across the deck, as was generally the case at
night-time; "I suppose the fire has gone out?"

"'S'pose it air," answered Hiram; "guess it's about time it wer, b'y,
considerin' I wer jest a-going fur to make it up when I seed Sam. I
reckon, though, if ye hev a mind fur to look in, ye can get a lantern
aft from the stooard. I seed him a-buzzin' round the poop jest now, fur
he hailed me ez he poked his long jib-boom of a nose up the companion;
but, I didn't take no notice o' the cuss, fur I wer outer sorts like,
feelin' right down chawed up!"

"All right," said I, anxious to display my courage before Hiram, his
fright somehow or other emboldening me. "I will get a lantern at once
and go into the galley."

So saying, I went along the deck aft, passing into the cuddy by the door
under the break of the poop, and there I found Morris Jones, the
steward, in the pantry.

He was putting a decanter and glass on a tray for the captain, who was
sitting in the cabin, preparing for a jollification after his exertions
of the day; for he had returned in high glee from his inspection of the
ship's position with Jan Steenbock, whom he took with him to explain the
different points of land and the anchorage.

Jan Steenbock was just leaving the skipper as I entered, refusing, as I
surmised from the conversation, his pressing invitation to have a
parting drink--a sign of great cordiality with him.

"Wa-all, hev yer own way, but a drop o' good rum hurts nary a one, ez I
ken see," I heard Captain Snaggs say. "Good-night, Mister Steenbock. I
guess we'll set to work in airnest ter-morrer, an' see about gettin' the
cargy out to lighten her; an' then, I reckon, mister, we'll try y'r
dodge o' diggin' a dock under her."

"Yase, dat vas goot," said the Dane, in his deep voice, in answer. "We
will dig oop the zand vrom her kil: an' zen, she vill vloat, if dere vas
no leaks an' she vas not hoort her back by taking ze groond."

"Jest so," replied the skipper; and Morris Jones having gone into the
cabin with the glasses