lready come back to life, or his ghost!

The next instant, however, I was reassured by a hoarse chuckle passing
round amongst the men; while Hiram Bangs called out, "I'm jiggered,
messmates, if it ain't the old man up on deck agen!"

Like him, I then caught the sound of Captain Snaggs' nasal twang,
although he spoke rather thickly, as if he had been drinking again.

"Fo'c's'le, ahoy!" he shouted; "wake up thaar an' show a leg! Let one
of the hands strike eight bells, an' come aft, all ye starbow-lines, to
take the first watch."

"Aye, aye, sir!" answered Tom Bullover, leading the way towards the
skipper; while Hiram Bangs seized hold of the rope attached to the
clapper of the bell, hanging under the break of the fo'c's'le, and
struck the hour, then following in Tom's footsteps with a "Here I am,
sonny, arter ye!"

I did not remain behind, you may be sure, not caring to stop in the
vicinity of Sam's galley after all that talk about him. Besides this, I
felt tired out, and my bunk being on a locker outside the steward's
pantry, and just within the door leading into the cuddy under the poop,
I was anxious to sneak in there without being seen again by the captain,
so as to have a lie down, or `turn in'--if it can be called turning in,
with all my clothes on, ready to turn out at a minute's notice!

I managed to get inside, luckily unperceived by the skipper's eagle eye
and was furthermore assured of a quiet `caulk' by hearing him sing out
presently to the steward to bring him up some grog, as he was going to
remain on deck till the middle watch. I knew from this that I would be
undisturbed by his coming below for a good four hours' spell at least;
and I soon sank off to sleep, the last thing that I heard being the
tramping about on deck of the men when Captain Snaggs roared out some
order about making more sail, and the sluicing of the water washing from
side to side, as the _Denver City_ rolled and pitched, staggering along
under a cloud of canvas, with everything set now, right before the wind.

The next thing I heard was a heavy crash of glass, and I woke up just in
time to catch the tail end of a combing wave, that dashed in through one
of the stern ports, washing the cabin fore and aft. The ship had
evidently been pooped by a heavy following sea, that travelled through
the water faster than she did before the stiff northward breeze,
although we were carrying on, too, at a good rate, as I've said.

Aroused b