“Blessed Virgin, he has suffered. He is now at peace,” said she, partly in English, partly in Spanish.
“Were you with him when he died?” I called to the boy, who stood at the foot of the companion steps, white and grinning.
“Yes, master.”
“Come here, my lad. Did he speak before he died?”
“Master, he lifted up his right hand and sung out ‘from under!’ then rattled.”
“How did you know he was dead?”
“I saw father die, master, and last voyage the cook died, and I saw him go.”
Miss Aurora looked as if she would have me interpret Greaves’ dying exclamation. I drained a tumbler of rum-and-water to cheer me, and going on deck found Yan Bol standing beside the companion way waiting.
“Vhas der captain deadt?” said he.
“He is dead,” I answered.