The Ghost Pirates

  II

  What Tammy the 'Prentice Saw

  The next morning, in my watch below, I had a look at the places wherethat strange thing had come aboard, and left the ship; but I foundnothing unusual, and no clue to help me to understand the mystery of thestrange man.

  For several days after that, all went quietly; though I prowled aboutthe decks at night, trying to discover anything fresh that might tend tothrow some light on the matter. I was careful to say nothing to any oneabout the thing I had seen. In any case, I felt sure I should only havebeen laughed at.

  Several nights passed away in this manner, and I was no nearer to anunderstanding of the affair. And then, in the middle watch, somethinghappened.

  It was my wheel. Tammy, one of the first voyage 'prentices, was keepingtime--walking up and down the lee side of the poop. The Second Mate wasforrard, leaning over the break of the poop, smoking. The weather stillcontinued fine, and the moon, though declining, was sufficientlypowerful to make every detail about the poop, stand out distinctly.Three bells had gone, and I'll admit I was feeling sleepy. Indeed, Ibelieve I must have dozed, for the old packet steered very easily, andthere was precious little to do, beyond giving her an odd spoke now andagain. And then, all at once, it seemed to me that I heard someonecalling my name, softly. I could not be certain; and first I glancedforrard to where the Second stood, smoking, and from him, I looked intothe binnacle. The ship's head was right on her course, and I felteasier. Then, suddenly, I heard it again. There was no doubt about itthis time, and I glanced to leeward. There I saw Tammy reaching over thesteering gear, his hand out, in the act of trying to touch my arm. I wasabout to ask him what the devil he wanted, when he held up his fingerfor silence, and pointed forrard along the lee side of the poop. In thedim light, his face showed palely, and he seemed much agitated. For afew seconds, I stared in the direction he indicated, but could seenothing.

  "What is it?" I asked in an undertone, after a couple of moments'further ineffectual peering. "I can't see anything."

  "H'sh!" he muttered, hoarsely, without looking in my direction. Then,all at once, with a quick little gasp, he sprang across the wheel-box,and stood beside me, trembling. His gaze appeared to follow themovements of something I could not see.

  I must say that I was startled. His movement had shown such terror; andthe way he stared to leeward made me think he saw something uncanny.

  "What the deuce is up with you?" I asked, sharply. And then I rememberedthe Second Mate. I glanced forrard to where he lounged. His back wasstill towards us, and he had not seen Tammy. Then I turned to the boy.

  "For goodness sake, get to looard before the Second sees you!" I said."If you want to say anything, say it across the wheel-box. You've beendreaming."

  Even as I spoke, the little beggar caught at my sleeve with one hand;and, pointing across to the log-reel with the other, screamed: "He'scoming! He's coming----" At this instant, the Second Mate came runningaft, singing out to know what was the matter. Then, suddenly, crouchingunder the rail near the log-reel, I saw something that looked like aman; but so hazy and unreal, that I could scarcely say I saw anything.Yet, like a flash, my thoughts ripped back to the silent figure I hadseen in the flicker of the moonlight, a week earlier.

  The Second Mate reached me, and I pointed, dumbly; and yet, as I did so,it was with the knowledge that _he_ would not be able to see what I saw.(Queer, wasn't it?) And then, almost in a breath, I lost sight of thething, and became aware that Tammy was hugging my knees.

  The Second continued to stare at the log-reel for a brief instant; thenhe turned to me, with a sneer.

  "Been asleep, the pair of you, I suppose!" Then, without waiting for mydenial, he told Tammy to go to hell out of it and stop his noise, orhe'd boot him off the poop.

  After that, he walked forward to the break of the poop, and lit hispipe, again--walking forward and aft every few minutes, and eyeing me,at times, I thought, with a strange, half-doubtful, half-puzzled look.

  Later, as soon as I was relieved, I hurried down to the 'Prentice'sberth. I was anxious to speak to Tammy. There were a dozen questionsthat worried me, and I was in doubt what I ought to do. I found himcrouched on a sea-chest, his knees up to his chin, and his gaze fixed onthe doorway, with a frightened stare. I put my head into the berth, andhe gave a gasp; then he saw who it was, and his face relaxed somethingof its strained expression.

  He said: "Come in," in a low voice, which he tried to steady; and Istepped over the wash-board, and sat down on a chest, facing him.

  "What was _it?_" he asked; putting his feet down on to the deck, andleaning forward. "For God's sake, tell me what it was!"

  His voice had risen, and I put up my hand to warn him.

  "H'sh!" I said. "You'll wake the other fellows."

  He repeated his question, but in a lower tone. I hesitated, beforeanswering him. I felt, all at once, that it might be better to deny allknowledge--to say I hadn't seen anything unusual. I thought quickly, andmade answer on the turn of the moment.

  "What was _what?_" I said. "That's just the thing I've come to ask you.A pretty pair of fools you made of the two of us up on the poop justnow, with your hysterical tomfoolery."

  I concluded my remark in a tone of anger.

  "I didn't!" he answered, in a passionate whisper. "You know I didn't.You know _you_ saw it yourself. You pointed it out to the Second Mate. Isaw you."

  The little beggar was nearly crying between fear, and vexation at myassumed unbelief.

  "Rot!" I replied. "You know jolly well you were sleeping in yourtime-keeping. You dreamed something and woke up suddenly. You were offyour chump."

  I was determined to reassure him, if possible; though, goodness! Iwanted assurance myself. If he had known of that other thing, I had seendown on the maindeck, what then?

  "I wasn't asleep, any more than you were," he said, bitterly. "And youknow it. You're just fooling me. The ship's haunted."

  "What!" I said, sharply.

  "She's haunted," he said, again. "She's haunted."

  "Who says so?" I inquired, in a tone of unbelief.

  "I do! And you _know_ it. Everybody knows it; but they don't more thanhalf believe it ... I didn't, until tonight."

  "Damned rot!" I answered. "That's all a blooming old shellback's yarn.She's no more haunted than I am."

  "It's not damned rot," he replied, totally unconvinced. "And it's not anold shellback's yarn ... Why won't you say you saw it?" he cried,growing almost tearfully excited, and raising his voice again.

  I warned him not to wake the sleepers.

  "Why won't you say that you saw it?" he repeated.

  I got up from the chest, and went towards the door.

  "You're a young idiot!" I said. "And I should advise you not to gogassing about like this, round the decks. Take my tip, and turn-in andget a sleep. You're talking dotty. Tomorrow you'll perhaps feel what anunholy ass you've made of yourself."

  I stepped over the washboard, and left him. I believe he followed me tothe door to say something further; but I was half-way forward by then.

  For the next couple of days, I avoided him as much as possible, takingcare never to let him catch me alone. I was determined, if possible, toconvince him that he had been mistaken in supposing that he had seenanything that night. Yet, after all, it was little enough use, as youwill soon see. For, on the night of the second day, there was a furtherextraordinary development, that made denial on my part useless.