“Let every man come aft! Every one of you! We’ll break up this tomfoolery before I’m many hours older!”
It was much as if the crew were eager to obey the order, and in a twinkling the ship was crowded near the break of the quarter, until Simon and I were like to be trodden upon.
Then came a command which we could not hear, and immediately afterward the second and third officers went forward.
I understood full well that the captain counted on finding some one skulking forward, who was trying to work upon the fears of the men, which had been aroused by the apparition of the night previous.
However, in case the officers failed to find any one nearabout the hatchway from which the voice seemed to come, it would hardly be a fair test, since any one of those forward might have spoken the words, although not without having been detected by some of his companions.
At all events, the search was carried on evidently with great care, for fully fifteen minutes elapsed before the two officers reappeared, and meanwhile Simon and I, being sorely crowded against the break of the quarter, had made bold to clamber up, by the aid of the men, until we could sit upon the edge of the deck.
We were not more than six feet distant from Captain Ropes when the officers made their report, and I distinctly heard Mr. Fernald say:
“We found nothing, sir. There is not a man below save those in the hold who are guarding the prisoners.”
“Where are the cooks?” the captain cried.
“Here, sir! Here, sir! Here, sir!” came from as many different points amid the throng.