The crewman hurtled onto his shoulders from the steampipe above.
The captain fell flat, and his sword went skittering away, rattling loudly on the steel deck.
"Umph!" he said.
"Boy!" the crewman said, "I shore thought you'd never come back down here."
The captain was stunned. He could feel the crewman lashing his hands together behind him.
"What were you doing up there?" the captain said at length.
"I clumb up there when I a-hyeared ya a-comin' like a herd o' elephants. I thought ta come down here an' wait hit out 'til th' assembly bell."
"My intentions exactly," the captain said, testing his bonds. There was no escape from them. "Your voice sounds familiar."
"Yeah. Hit should. I'm Henderson, th' officers' messman."
"Lord give me strength," the captain said.