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Updated: May 8, 2025
It was undoubtedly the hole which the bullet from the Second Mate's revolver had made in the sail. Then I heard the Old Man shouting to Jaskett. "Be careful with that flare there!" he sung out. "You'll be having that sail scorched!" He left the Second Mate, and came back on to the port side of the mast. To my right, Plummer's flares seemed to be dwindling.
Do you hear?" "Yes, Sir," said the man, and came forrard. In a minute, Jaskett stumbled up onto the fo'cas'le head. "What's up, mate?" he asked sleepily. "It's that fool of a Second Mate!" I said, savagely. "I've reported a light to him three times, and, because the blind fool can't see it, he's sent you up to relieve me!" "Where is it, mate?" he inquired. He looked round at the dark sea.
"Come hon," and he ran out on deck. Plummer, Jaskett and I followed quickly. Outside, it had started to rain pretty heavily. As we went, the Second Mate's voice came to us through the darkness. "Stand by the main royal clewlines and buntlines," I heard him shout, and the next instant came the hollow thutter of the sail as he started to lower away. In a few minutes we had it hauled up.
"Send another man to the wheel." "Very good, Sir," the Second answered. A couple of minutes later, old Jaskett came up to relieve me. I gave him the course, and he repeated it. "What's up, mate?" he asked me, as I stepped off the grating. "Nothing much," I said, and went forrard to where the Skipper was standing on the break of the poop.
Yet, I had a faint hope that those aft had seen it just before it disappeared; but this I knew was vain, directly I heard the Second's voice. "Light be damned!" he shouted. Then he blew his whistle, and one of the men ran aft, out of the fo'cas'le, to see what it was he wanted. "Whose next look-out is it?" I heard him ask. "Jaskett's, Sir." "Then tell Jaskett to relieve Jessop at once.
And now there was this shadow vessel-thing ghost-ship I called it. It was a damned good name, too. And the dark, noiseless men ... I thought a lot on these lines. Unconsciously, I put a question to myself, aloud: "Were they the crew?" "Eh?" said Jaskett, who was on the next chest. I took hold of myself, as it were, and glanced at him, in an apparently careless manner. "Did I speak?" I asked.
He spoke to the men particularly: "As soon as we are ready, the other two men in the Mate's watch will get up into the cranelines, and keep their flares going there. Take your paraffin tins with you. When we reach the upper topsail, Quoin and Jaskett will get out on the yard-arms, and show their flares there. Be careful to keep your lights away from the sails.
"For God's sake, you two, don't get fighting, up aloft!" But a loud, frightened curse was all the answer he gave. Then straightway, he began to shout at the top of his voice, and in the lulls of his noise, I caught the voice of Stubbins, cursing savagely. "They'll come down with a run!" I shouted, helplessly. "They'll come down as sure as nuts." I caught Jaskett by the boot. "What are they doing?
No sooner had I followed the Second Mate, than, straightway, Stubbins, Plummer, and Jaskett came up after us at a run. About half-way to the maintop, the Second Mate stopped, and looked down. "Who's that coming up below you, Jessop?" he asked. Before I could, speak, Stubbins answered: "It's me, Sir, an' Plummer an' Jaskett." "Who the devil told you to come now? Go straight down, the lot of you!"
"Ther Second's comin' forrard for a hexplanation, Jaskett," Stubbins sung out. "You'd better go down an' change yer breeks." The Second Mate passed us, and went up the starboard ladder. "What's up now, Jaskett?" he said quickly. "Where is this light? Neither the 'prentice nor I can see it!" "Ther damn thing's clean gone, Sir," Jaskett replied. "Gone!" the Second Mate said. "Gone!
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