their apartment on that memorable night, and left in the dark,than--
"`Well, Brackenbury,' said O'Brady, `here's a nice wind-up to a windyday. But I vote we make the best of a bad job. I'm dog-tired and assleepy as an old owl. I'm going to turn in, even if I have to turn outin the morning to get my head taken off.'
"`So shall I,' replied Brackenbury. `But what an uncivil brute of ablack servant that is! Why, he might as well have left the light!'
"`No doubt he's acting according to orders, my friend,' said O'Brady.`And duty is duty, of course, on board a ship or out of it.'
"`Oh yes,' Brackenbury acquiesced, `duty is duty, as you say. But canyou find the head of your bed?'
"`Yes, mine is towards the fireplace, and yours is towards the door.'
"`Good-night,' said Brackenbury.
"`Umph!' grunted O'Brady, for he was all but asleep already.
"`Hark!' cried Brackenbury, a few minutes after. `Are you asleep,O'Brady?'
"`No, I'm listening. Hush!'
"Had anyone come into the apartment with a light just then, they wouldhave seen both men sitting bolt upright in bed, with not only theireyes, but even their mouths open.
"`I heard footsteps in the passage,' hissed Brackenbury; `they surelycan't be going to hang us to-night!'
"His voice was somewhat shaky.
"`Hang us! no! Nonsense, Brackenbury! Dolosa knows much better than tohang us. You're not afraid, are you?'
"`Hark!' was the reply; `but now I heard a whisper. It seems in theroom. Sure you locked the door? You see, O'Brady, that with a sword inmy hand, in daylight, and with my foot on my own quarter-deck, I'm fitfor anything. But I'm not a rat, jigger me if I am. I believe Dolosawould do anything. Now those monster niggers of his, what would hinderhalf a dozen of them from smothering us, time about, with a feather-bed?Ugh! fancy a feather-bed on top of you, and half a dozen hulking blackmurderers on top o' that. Ugh, I say!'
"The sound of whispering and of footsteps had ceased, but both officersstill sat up, straining their ears.
"O'Brady laughed low. `Bedad, Brackenbury, it wouldn't take half adozen hulking niggers to cook your goose. I guess two would do it,bedad, I do; _Honolulu_!' The last word was almost shrieked.
"`Goodness be near us!' cried Brackenbury, now fairly chattering withfear. `What _is_ the matter, my friend?'
"`My hand,' replied O'Brady, `was lying over the edge of the bed, and acold nose touched it. Egad! Brackenbury, it did give me the shivers!'
"`Hullo!' cried Brackenbury next. `What's this? Murder! Police!Guard! Fire!' he roared.
"Then Captain Brackenbury became suddenly quiet.
"`What is it at all, at all? Speak, friend, speak! Are the niggerskilling you? Have they smothered you alive? Are you dead entirely?Speak, then!'
"But his friend did not answer immediately; when he did reply, O'Bradywas more puzzled than ever, and would have given a whole month's pay fora farthing box of matches, or half a second's light from a purser's dip,just to see what his companion in darkness and misery was about.
"`My pretty darling, then,' Brackenbury was saying, in a fond andwheedling voice. `Come into my arms, then, you cosy-mosy little pet.Now, now then, now then, now!'
"`Brackenbury,' cried O'Brady, `what _are_ you saying? Is it leave ofyour seven senses you're taking? Have the trials of the day been toomuch for you? Or is it asleep and dreaming you are?'
"`Ha! ha! ha!' laughed the captain. `'Pon my soul, O'Brady, I'mastonished at _you_, being afraid of a mongoose. Ha! ha! ha!'
"`A mongoose! eh? What? Who's afraid?' spluttered O'Brady.
"`Yes, a mongoose! That was the cold nose you felt. It jumped on topof my bed, it is now nestling round my neck. Darling, then, prettypet!'
"`Very well explained,' said the old captain, `very well indeed. Quiteaccounts for the milk in the cocoanut. Good-night--good-night!'
"Both awoke at the same moment next morning, sat up in their beds--facing each other--and rubbed their eyes. They gave one glance up atthe tall window, through which the sunlight was streaming inmany-coloured rays, then rubbed their eyes, then looked at each otheragain.
"`I couldn't make out where I was for a moment,' said O'Brady.
"`Nor I,' replied Brackenbury.
"There was a knock at the door.
"`Can I come in, geentlemans?' said a voice with a strong foreignaccent.
"`Pull the latch,' said O'Brady, seeing that his companion hesitated.
"Brackenbury did as told, and a servant glided into the room, a darklittle pale-faced Portuguese.
"`I bring you de water for shave,' he said, mildly. `Also de _navaja_,what you call it, de knife for rasp. Shall I rasp you?'
"`Thanks, no,' said both; `we will prefer to rasp ourselves.'
"`Vell den, geentlemans, I have also for you de complimentes of de greatCount de Dolosa, and he will be mooch please to see you at breekwust.In one leetle half-hour de gong veel soun', den I come again and conductyou to de breekwust-room.'
"`By the way,' cried Brackenbury, as the polite little man was about toleave, `what is your name?'
"`Name, senor? si senor, my name ees Marco.'
"`Here's an odd half-sovereign I've got no use for, Marco.'
"`Gracias!' muttered Marco, slipping the coin into his waistcoat pocket.
"`Now, Marco,' continued Brackenbury, `you're a kind-hearted sort of achap, I know.'
"`_Si, senor, hombre de chapa_.' [man of sense.]
"`Yes; well, have you heard anything about us? No preparations to hangus, or anything of that sort, is there, Marco?'
"Marco came in again, and quietly closed the door. Then he listened amoment.
"`See, geentlemans,' he said, `I veel not tell a false-dad. You veel_die_--perhaps. Perhaps you veel not.'
"`Well,' grunted O'Brady, `we could have guessed as much. Thank you fornothing. Give him another yellow boy, Brackenbury, I'll pay you someday--perhaps.'
"The additional coin made Marco smile.
"`Now,' he said, `I tell you _all_ de trut'. De trut' is dis: you veelnot die for two tree week. Suppose your people pay plenty _libertad_monies for you, den you not die at all. Suppose dey not veel pay deplenty mooch _libertad_ monies, and suppose, instead, de coome and fighthere, den you die ver' quick indeed.'
"`Thank you, thank you!' cried O'Brady. `Give him one more yellow boy,Brackenbury.'
"`Dash my buttons, sir,' said Brackenbury, `how free you can make withother people's cash, O'Brady!'
"Marco retired, smiling sweetly on his third yellow boy, and the twoofficers began to think of getting up.
"`Ahem!' said Brackenbury.
"`What?' said O'Brady.
"`I'm a little shy,' said Brackenbury, `in dressing in the sameapartment with any one else. Ahem! did you ever know, O'Brady, that Iwore a wig?'
"`No,' grunted O'Brady. `'Pon my soul, you're as shy as a girl,Brackenbury. I ain't shy. Now look here, did it ever strike you that Ihad a glass eye?'
"`Well, no--ahem!--I've noticed, though, that you squinted a bit. Factis, to put it straight, I've observed you looking very steadily at themain-truck with one eye, and apparently looking at the compass with theother. Ha! ha! ha!'
"`Well, what does it matter?' said O'Brady. `I'm going on for sixtyyears of age, man.'
"`And I,' said Brackenbury, `am precious near fifty--'
"`Just on the other side o' the hedge, eh? Ha! ha! You gay young dog.Look here!' he continued, `perhaps you wouldn't believe it, but I have acork leg!'
"`Well,' cried Brackenbury, springing out of bed and preparing to shave,`I'm glad we've both made a clean breast of it.'
"They both laughed hearty now; fact is, they felt lighter in spiritssince Marco told them there was no immediate cause for apprehension.
"And Brackenbury pulled out his false teeth, and O'Brady pulled out his,and Brackenbury threw his wig on the top of his bed, and appeared in allthe beauty of his baldness, while O'Brady laid h
is glass eye on thetable, and brandished his cork leg by way of showing the captain what hecould do with it.
"Silly old fogies, weren't they? But by the time the gong went roaringand clanging through the halls they were both dressed and waiting forMarco.
"This individual glided silently on in front of them; for