The Ghost Pirates

Coming o

mist, things seemed to

wo or three days a

away from the wheel, it was our watch on deck from eigh

, until it occurred to me that if I had been in his place, and come on deck to find the ship almost aback, and the fellow at the wheel staring out across the sea, instead of attending to his business, I should most c

e had looked at me so queerly in the morning. Did he guess more of the truth t

the day. One idea appealed to me, very strongly. It was that the actual, visible mist was

longer enveloped in that extraordinary atmosphere. I bent forward, and gave the thing my more immediate attention. I saw then that it was undoubtedly the green light of a vessel on our port bow. It was plain that she was bent on crossing our bows. What was more, sh

the port

ment his ha

reab

blind," I sa

ts on the bow,

actically a repetition of the affair of the morning. Evidently, the impalpable something that invested the ship, had thinned for an instant, thus allowing me to see the light ahead. Now, it had closed again. Yet, whether I could see, or not, I did not doubt the fact that, there was a vessel ahead, and very close ahead, too. We might run on top of her any minute

y light Jessop," he said, coming over

t myself. It was a green light, about a couple of

uggested, after peering out pretty ha

ps," I

o close that, even in the darkness, we shoul

, and not a star?" he asked, doub

have been the moon, now

"It's easy enough to ma

the Sec

s disappeared

to?" he

know?" I told him. "Do

ag in," he said, and we

nd M

e being run down. I did not wait a moment; but sung out to the Second Mate that there was a green light about four points on the port bow. By Jove! it mu

elf, "the Second will s

will be able to give th

into my head, the light

e Second Ma

?" he was

again, Sir,

I heard him comi

foot of the s

ou, Jessop?"

and went to the top o

wly on to the

out a light?" he asked. "Just point out

port rail, and stared away into th

e now-once, about a couple of points on the bow, and this last time,

at all, Jessop," he s

e it was a s

een light. It w

aft and ask the 'prentice to pass you down

I replied,

his binoculars; and, with them, he star

to his side, and faced round

that, she must be precious close. We should be able to see her spar

r, Sir," I

amned queer that I'm inclined

m certain it

e ship then

That's just what'

t the port rail, and taking another look to leeward through his night glasses. Perhaps a minute he stoo

lf. "Or else he thinks I've been imagining t

e guessed nothing. I got one of my fits of asking myself whether it would not have been better to have told him everything. It seemed to me that he must have seen sufficient t

he light for the third time. It was very bright and big, and I could se

the Second Mate must s

was not going to risk its vanishing again, the instant I had spoken. For quite half a minute, I watched it, and there was no sign

d I ran to the rail, on the af

t the beam, Sir!" I sung o

. Even as I shouted, the

I had a faint hope that those aft had seen it just before it disapp

damned!" h

f the men ran aft, out of the fo'ca

k-out is it?" I

ett's

to relieve Jessop a

id the man, an

t stumbled up onto

mate?" he as

ve reported a light to him three times, and, because the

t, mate?" h

round at t

ht," he remarked, a

said. "I

he inq

" I repeate

arded me silently

length. "I've been that way meself. Ther's no

said. "L

right in ther mornin'. Don't yer worr

ff the fo'cas'le head. I wondered whether

elf. "I wonder who'd feel like having a sl

through the things I had learnt. Then the thought came to me to go aft and talk the matter ov

ices' berth. As I neared the break of the poop, I looked up and saw

that?"

sop, Sir,

n this part of the

speak to Tammy,

er unkindly. "A sleep will do you more good than yarning

ot, Sir! I'm pe

errupted, sharply. "Yo

ent slowly forrard. I was getting maddened w

f. "Wait till the fools k

orway, and went across to my chest, and sat

lay in his bunk, watching them, and also smoking. As I sat down, he put his

econd hoffěcer?" he ask

g, and I let out pretty stiffly, telling them the whole business. Yet, I had seen enough to know that it was no good

ay?" said Stubbins

I ass

mornin', 'cause yer 'appened ter see a ship 'e

I said,

in, significantly; but Stubbins

you're a bit hoff colour," he

" I said, with some bitter

plied. "It's bound ter seem queer te

nto silence

Second Mate didn't 'appen to spot

lummer nudged him to b

nd Mate's opinion, and

next remark dre

deliberation. "All ther same, ther Second should have sa

slowly, keeping his

ith a vague sense that the man understood

r Second so blesse

emoved it, and leant forward

you, after you came hoff

ld me I was getting to imagining things too much.

at did

. I came

en't doin' ther imaginin' trick when he sent us c

ught of it,"

r ought t

up in his bunk, and

box, Quoin looked

yer know. Yer carn't say as it's

ck to me, and went on with

nooze, did he? I don't hunde

mean, bluffi

his head

ou saw that light, just a

his game, at this spe

I really saw it?" I asked

e. "You hain't likely ter make that

ight, right enough; but"-I hesita

d queer! An' there's a lot of other damn quee

a few seconds. The

l, I'm damned su

in the momentary silence, I caught Jaskett'

rboard quarter, Sir,"

ket I spotted, ought to be by now. She couldn't cross our bows, so she up he

following. As we stepped out on deck, I heard the Second Mate

aid. "I believe the bles

y, and looked over; but there was no s

s I see any lig

said n

es of Jaskett. He was standing by the starboard rail, with his hands up, shading

ot to, Jaskett

unny thing I've ever comed across. She were there as plain a

ed to

ink about it, n

'twere somethin' an' nothin'. I thought yer wa

the sound of step

anation, Jaskett," Stubbins sung out. "Yo

ed us, and went up t

uickly. "Where is this light? Neith

s clean gone, Sir

Mate said. "Gone!

Sir, as plain as me 'att,

me!" the Second replied. "You don'

ir," Jaskett answered. "An' J

afterthought. Evidently, the old beggar had

kett," the Second said,

ting things into yo

instant. The

s sort of game? You know very well that you saw no light! I sent Je

started to say; but th

and went down the ladder, pas

I said, "as though the Second di

e," he answered.

tly; and at eight bells I made haste t

to disappear immediately. This, I found, had happened twice, and the Mate had got so wild (being under the impression that the man was playing the fool) that he had nearly came to blows with hi

he vanishing lights, something else occurred that temporarily drove from my mind all