“When you see a thing, you’re bound to believe in it, no matter what any one else may say,” the sailor replied, stubbornly. “But as Josh Seabury asks: Allowin’ that all hands of us fell to dreamin’, an’ neither you, nor me, nor the rest of the watch saw anything, what do you make of the order for us to put back to port? Who or what was it yelled the words in sich a way as no livin’ man can yell, an’ what did the thing mean by sayin’ the cruise was ended?”
It would have been better for my own peace of mind if I had not brought the conversation around to this point.
Instead of convincing Stubbs there were no such things as ghosts, he had, by repeating Master Joshua’s arguments, almost persuaded me that we had seen and heard a veritable spirit, whose mission it was to warn us of impending danger.
I fell silent, and the sailor began filling his pipe as he walked toward the prison, bent on holding friendly converse with those who, through the unlawful acts of the king, had unwittingly become our enemies.
The Britishers questioned him eagerly concerning the chase, and he freely gave the desired information, discussing with them the chances of overhauling the ship, which he appeared to consider were very slight.
I did not care to listen, even though I burned to learn all that had taken place while Simon and I were forced to remain in the darkness.
Talking with Stubbs concerning the events of the previous evening had aroused all my nervous fears, and I was quite prepared to believe that whosoever had escaped from the brig was making ready to attack us, although what might have been gained if all the prisoners were at that moment released from the brig, I could not have explained.
Standing with my back to the ladder lest some one might creep up from behind, and my musket ready for immediate use, I waited, feverishly impatient, for Simon’s return.
He came after perhaps half an hour had passed, although the time seemed to me much longer than that, and I saw at once he had failed in his purpose.
“You didn’t speak with your father!” I cried, in a tone of reproof, and indeed for the instant it was to me as if the lad had failed because of negligence.