"Yes, there is some one there. Is it a stranger; and how did he come there?"
"You are either dreaming or joking."
"Not at all. Come down and see for yourself."
They go down to the cabin, but there is no one at the desk. The ship is thoroughly searched, but no stranger is found.
"And yet the man I saw was writing on your slate; the writing must be there still," said he to the captain.
They looked at the slate; it bore these words: "Steer to the northwest."
"This must be your writing, or some one's else on board the ship."
"No; I did not write it."
Every one was told to write the same sentence, and no handwriting resembled that on the slate. "Very well," said the captain; "we will obey these instructions and steer the ship to the northwest; the wind is right, and will admit of our trying the experiment."