“I’ll swear I did.”
“And what did the voice say?”
“I didn’t stop to hear.”
“I’ll try it; you watch beside me.”
“All right, captain, I’ll stand right here.”
The captain lay down in the berth and the mate stood at his side, but nothing was heard.
“We’ve both been fooled,” said the captain. “Lie down, it’s all right.”
The mate stepped away, but he had not got more than two feet distant when once more the captain leaped from the berth.
The two men gazed into each other’s faces and finally the captain asked:
“Is it a judgment on us?”