“Well, we did pretend as well as we could; but everybody hugged the port side o’ the ship, and was ready to bolt down below at the shortest notice; and at last, when the beast got craning its neck up over the side as though it was looking for something, we gave it some more grub. We thought if we didn’t give it he might take it, and take it off the wrong shelf, so to speak. But, as the mate said, it was encouraging it, and long arter it was dark we could hear it snorting and splashing behind us, until at last it ’ad such an effect on us the mate sent one o’ the chaps down to rouse the skipper.
“‘I don’t think it’ll do no ’arm,’ ses the skipper, peering over the side, and speaking as though he knew all about sea-sarpints and their ways.
“‘S’pose it puts its ’ead over the side and takes one o’ the men,’ ses the mate.
“‘Let me know at once,’ ses the skipper firmly; an’ he went below agin and left us.
“Well, I was jolly glad when eight bells struck, an’ I went below; an’ if ever I hoped anything I hoped that when I go up that ugly brute would have gone, but, instead o’ that, when I went on deck it was playing alongside like a kitten a’most, an’ one o’ the chaps told me as the skipper had been feeding it agin.
“‘It’s a wonderful animal,’ ses the skipper, ‘an’ there’s none of you now but has seen the sea-sarpint; but I forbid any man here to say a word about it when we get ashore.’
“‘Why not, sir?’ ses the second mate.
“‘Becos you wouldn’t be believed,’ said the skipper sternly. ‘You might all go ashore and kiss the Book an’ make affidavits an’ not a soul ’ud believe you. The comic papers ’ud make fun of it, and the respectable papers ’ud say it was seaweed or gulls.’
“Why not take it to New York with us?’ ses the fust mate suddenly.
“‘What?’ ses the skipper.