If there was one thing the darky had a horror of it was a corpse.
“Massy Lordy!” he groaned; “de debbil am down dere fo’ shuah! He done git dis chile!”
“Nonsense!” cried Hartley, impatiently. “Come along, you black rascal!”
But no amount of persuasion could induce Pomp to enter the dead men’s cabin.
Hartley gave up the task.
“Well,” he said, “I must go alone. Keep guard at the hatchway, then.”
“I do dat,” agreed Pomp.
Down into the cabin Hartley went. He pushed the floating bodies aside.
He passed from one part of the ship to another. There were marks of a former visit plain enough.
Someone had entered before him.