“No, sir,” growled the boatswain rather savagely. “It bean’t no ghost-ship this time, though she ain’t far off, I knows, to my thinkin’!”
He added the last words as if speaking to himself, but I heard him, and his remark stopped my mirth instanter.
“What is it, bo’sun, that you do see, then?” cried the skipper impatiently; “that is, if you see anything at all beyond some vision of your own imagination!”
“I ain’t dreaming,” hailed back old Masters, not quite catching what he said. “I sees summit as plain as possible out to win’ard. Aye, it be a-driftin’ down athawt our hawser, too, cap’en. Why, hullo! I’m blessed. Boat ahoy!”
Chapter Thirteen.
In the Nick of Time.
“A boat!” exclaimed Captain Applegarth, his jesting manner changing instantly to one of earnest attention. “Where away?”
“On our starboard beam, sir,” sang out Masters from the foretop. “About two points off, I fancies, sir.”