a group of seamen
forward, hard against a steeper rise of the deck; once I heard the
officer aft call out some unintelligible order, when one of the group
detached himself from among those others and passed along the opposite
side of the mast from where I lay, yet so close I could have touched
him with extended hand. I felt convinced a sentinel stood beside the
hatch, and imagined I could distinguish the faint outlines of another
farther back, near the rail. Trusting to avoid interference from this
latter soldier,--for I sought no risk of accident which might be
escaped,--I crept around upon the opposite side of the deck from where
I had been crouching so long. Getting my new bearings as well as
possible amid such confusing darkness, I finally set my teeth to it,
rose, and bore directly down upon the hatchway, lurching somewhat
heavily and unsteadily upon my feet.

Whatever vestige of doubt lingered as to the nature of my reception on
board the "Santa Maria" was quickly out to rest. In return there came
to me, from that first experience, a measure of confidence in my
assumed character that enabled me to impersonate my drunken priestly
predecessor with a degree of cool perfection that surprised myself.
Faith, 't is always so; life is like the teetering-board of children,
ever up or down. Evidently the father in his night migrations had
passed that way before, as the sentry--he appeared a burly fellow in
the gloom,--after making certain as to the identity of his unsteady
visitor, asked no unpleasant questions, merely contenting himself with
gruff, good-natured warning to the _padre_ to be more careful this time
and not fall down the ladder.

"Holy saints!" he added soothingly, "your worship's head must be
ringing yet with the blow it got."

To this uncharitable remark I maintained dignified silence, and,
flinging my somewhat uncertain limbs over the coamings, went scrambling
down, leaving him to his solitary meditations.

There was no light burning in the big square room below, merely a faint
yellow reflection stealing forth from that passageway leading aft. For
this blessing of Providence I was profoundly thankful. A good
half-dozen of the night guard, wearing similar uniform with those I had
met on duty during the afternoon, were idly lounging about the butt of
the mainmast, evidently awaiting turn on sentry post, and ready enough
to welcome any diversion chancing their way which would help to break
the dull