"One moment," said Sir Humphrey. "The second mate slept in your cabin?"

"Yes, sir. I see what you mean. Did I see him? Yes, I did, fast
asleep and snoring, with his back to me."

"And when you went down again he was not there?"

"That's it, gentlemen," said the captain, breaking in; "and he's not
aboard now. There's only one way o' looking at it: the poor fellow must
have been took bad in the night, got up and gone on deck, and fell
overboard."

"Horrible!" exclaimed Brace.

"That's right, sir. Soon as Richard Dellow here found it out he come up
to me on deck and give me a horrid turn. `Poor Jem's drowned,' he says,
`for he aren't down below.'"

"But have you thoroughly searched the vessel?" cried Brace.

"Searched, squire?" replied the captain. "Where is there to search? He
wasn't here, and as soon as I could think a bit I let go the anchor, for
we must go back to Johnstown and give notice, so that an enquiry can be
made. Not that there's anything to enquire about, for it's all as plain
as a pikestaff. I don't know what I could be thinking about to let him
go, when he ought to have been aboard at his work; but I didn't want to
be hard. There, you know all we know, gen'lemen, and as soon as the
tide begins to make we must run back to port, for we can't do anything
more till that bit o' business is settled."

Sir Humphrey and his brother were silent, for there seemed to be nothing
to say in face of such a terrible catastrophe; and, as if moved by a
mutual desire to separate, while the brothers walked forward towards
where the crew were gathered together watching them, the captain and
mate went aft, the former shaking his head sadly, the latter looking
terribly depressed and out of heart.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

THE MISSING MAN.

"This is a terrible business, Brace," said Sir Humphrey.

"Yes; it quite puts a damper upon our plans."

"Seems like a suggestion of unknown horrors of a similar kind which will
dog our footsteps all through."

"Don't say that, Free," said Brace earnestly. "I know it is terrible;
but it might have happened under any circumstances. You talk as if it
was to do away with our expedition."

"I'm afraid it will as far as Captain Banes is concerned, my lad. He is
sure to back out of it now."

"I'm afraid so too," said Brace sadly; "but only for a few days."

"I don't know, my boy: sailors are very superstitious and fond of
looking upon things as omens. It is very sad