The Ghost Pirates

That P

the deck, the Second

by the haulyards, ready to lower away. As I walked across to the starboard clewline, I saw that

to shorten sai

Second Mate replied. T

nds to shorten sail. You'd better give th

I sung out, a

m tell Tammy to go do

n through the starboard doorway, and fo

n deck, shorten s

pped

id," grumbled

re goin' aloft to-night, after

royal," I answered. "The

rst man. "Ther Sec

"The whole bloom

'appened?

all. We just made a mouthful ap

cond man, "I don't fancy goin'

e got to get the sail off her, or there'll be a mess

d one of the older men, rising from a chest,

id. "You'll wan

again. From the bunk forrard among the s

r!" I thoug

had last spoken, broke

" he said, rather test

out in

ir of curtains, cut out of an old sack, to keep off the draught. These, some one had drawn, so that I had to pull them aside to see him. He

ade no sign to show that he had heard me. And so, after a

asked one of the fellows,

ght to be told to come and have a look at him. I

e got it hauled up, and then went forrard to the fore t'gallant. And, a minut

he fore hauled up, so that now all three t'gallants were

oft an

nd Mate said. "Don't let's ha

ing in a clump by the mast; but it was too dark to see clearly. I he

e handy!" the Sec

ins jumped int

ther bloomin' sail fast, an' down ho

and Quoin who had been called dow

Mate's crowd. I heard him and the Mate talking to the men, and presently, when we wer

d Mate had seen them off the deck, he went up to t

manner we had gone as far as the crosstrees, at least, Stubbins, who was first, had; when, all at once, he gave out just anoth

well sent me flyin' dow

ink it's a joke, try

mmer. "I 'aven't touched yer. '

what more he may have said, was

ut. "For God's sake, you two,

ightway, he began to shout at the top of his voice, and in the lul

" I shouted, helplessly. "They

Jaskett b

see?" I shook his leg as I spoke. But at my touch, the old idiot-

! help!

, you old fool. If you won't do

htened clamour of men's voices, away down somewhere about the maintop-curses, cr

st-" The rest was drowned in a fresh

o describe his attitude, so much of it as I could see in the darkness. Up above him, Stubbins and Plummer

houting something defin

d not

angry, and shook and prodde

n you for a funky old fool! Let me

the after shroud somewhere above his left hip; by these means, I fairly hoisted myself up on to the old fellow's back. Then, with my right, I could reach to the forrard shroud, over his right shoulder, and h

ns!" I shouted. "

go from the rigging with my right hand, and struck furiously at his leg, cursing him for his clumsiness. He lif

'em to get down hon d

city that appalled me. I said nothing, but lashed out into the night with my left foot. It is queer, but I cannot say with certainty that I struck anything; I was too downright desperate with funk, to be sure; and yet it seemed to me that my foot encountered some

ther he gave way to me, I cannot tell. I know only that I reached the deck, in a blind whirl of fear