“Astounding!”
“But there’s worse to come,” said Ralph.
The footman, with his pig-tail standing on end, made a move towards the door.
The old housekeeper was almost fainting.
Tim’s hair was like the quills of a porcupine as he listened with open mouth and distended eyes.
“Well, as soon as they got possession of the ‘Dolphin’ these skeleton devils weighed anchor in a jiffey and made sail away.
“They pitched the dead overboard, every mother’s son of the crew, mind ye; but, as well as I could, I bound up my leg tight to keep it from bleeding, and crawled into an old cask.
“There I stayed for two days and two nights as quiet as a mouse a watching of these skeleton devils, and I heard and saw as much as would have killed any ordinary man.”
“Learn any of their secrets, do you mean?”
“Yes, sir.”