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still when they picked us up。 He was black in the face。 It was too much
for them。 It seems they rushed us aft together； gripped as we were；
screaming ‘Murder！' like a lot of lunatics； and broke into the cuddy。
And the ship running for her life； touch and go all the time； any minute
her last in a sea fit to turn your hair gray only a…looking at it。
I understand that the skipper； too； started raving like the rest of them。
The man had been deprived of sleep for more than a week； and to have
this sprung on him at the height of a furious gale nearly drove him
out of his mind。 I wonder they didn't fling me overboard after
getting the carcass of their precious shipmate out of my fingers。
They had rather a job to separate us； I've been told。 A sufficiently
fierce story to make an old judge and a respectable jury sit up a bit。
The first thing I heard when I came to myself was the maddening
howling of that endless gale； and on that the voice of the old man。
He was hanging on to my bunk； staring into my face out of his sou'wester。
〃‘Mr。 Leggatt； you have killed a man。 You can act no longer
as chief mate of this ship。'〃
His care to subdue his voice made it sound monotonous。
He rested a hand on the end of the skylight to steady himself with；
and all that time did not stir a limb； so far as I could see。
〃Nice little tale for a quiet tea party；〃 he concluded
in the same tone。
One of my hands； too； rested on the end of the skylight； neither did I stir
a limb； so far as I knew。 We stood less than a foot from each other。
It occurred to me that if old 〃Bless my soulyou don't say so〃
were to put his head up the companion and catch sight of us；
he would think he was seeing double； or imagine himself come
upon a scene of weird witchcraft； the strange captain having
a quiet confabulation by the wheel with his own gray ghost。
I became very much concerned to prevent anything of the sort。
I heard the other's soothing undertone。
〃My father's a parson in Norfolk；〃 it said。 Evidently he had
forgotten he had told me this important fact before。
Truly a nice little tale。
〃You had better slip down into my stateroom now；〃 I said；
moving off stealthily。 My double followed my movements；
our bare feet made no sound； I let him in； closed the door
with care； and； after giving a call to the second mate；
returned on deck for my relief。
〃Not much sign of any wind yet；〃 I remarked when he approached。
〃No； sir。 Not much；〃 he assented； sleepily； in his hoarse voice；
with just enough deference； no more； and barely suppressing a yawn。
〃Well； that's all you have to look out for。 You have got your orders。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
I paced a turn or two on the poop and saw him take up his position face
forward with his elbow in the ratlines of the mizzen rigging before I
went below。 The mate's faint snoring was still going on peacefully。
The cuddy lamp was burning over the table on which stood a vase
with flowers； a polite attention from the ship's provision merchant
the last flowers we should see for the next three months at the very least。
Two bunches of bananas hung from the beam symmetrically； one on each
side of the rudder casing。 Everything was as before in the ship
except that two of her captain's sleeping suits were simultaneously
in use； one motionless in the cuddy； the other keeping very still
in the captain's stateroom。
It must be explained here that my cabin had the form of the capital
letter L； the door being within the angle and opening into the short part
of the letter。 A couch was to the left； the bed place to the right；
my writing desk and the chronometers' table faced the door。
But anyone opening it； unless he stepped right inside； had no
view of what I call the long （or vertical） part of the letter。
It contained some lockers surmounted by a bookcase； and a few clothes；
a thick jacket or two； caps； oilskin coat； and such like； hung on hooks。
There was at the bottom of that part a door opening into my bathroom；
which could be entered also directly from the saloon。
But that way was never used。
The mysterious arrival had discovered the advantage of this particular shape。
Entering my room； lighted strongly by a big bulkhead lamp swung on gimbals
above my writing desk； I did not see him anywhere till he stepped out quietly
from behind the coats hung in the recessed part。
〃I heard somebody moving about； and went in there at once；〃 he whispered。
I； too； spoke under my breath。
〃Nobody is likely to come in here without knocking and getting permission。〃
He nodded。 His face was thin and the sunburn faded； as though
he had been ill。 And no wonder。 He had been； I heard presently；
kept under arrest in his cabin for nearly seven weeks。
But there was nothing sickly in his eyes or in his expression。
He was not a bit like me； really； yet； as we stood leaning
over my bed place； whispering side by side； with our dark heads
together and our backs to the door； anybody bold enough to open
it stealthily would have been treated to the uncanny sight
of a double captain busy talking in whispers with his other self。
〃But all this doesn't tell me how you came to hang on to our side ladder；〃
I inquired； in the hardly audible murmurs we used； after he had told
me something more of the proceedings on board the Sephora once the bad
weather was over。
〃When we sighted Java Head I had had time to think all those matters
out several times over。 I had six weeks of doing nothing else；
and with only an hour or so every evening for a tramp on the quarter…deck。〃
He whispered； his arms folded on the side of my bed place； staring through
the open port。 And I could imagine perfectly the manner of this thinking out
a stubborn if not a steadfast operation； something of which I should have
been perfectly incapable。
〃I reckoned it would be dark before we closed with the land；〃
he continued； so low that I had to strain my hearing near
as we were to each other； shoulder touching shoulder almost。
〃So I asked to speak to the old man。 He always seemed
very sick when he came to see meas if he could not look
me in the face。 You know； that foresail saved the ship。
She was too deep to have run long under bare poles。
And it was I that managed to set it for him。 Anyway； he came。
When I had him in my cabinhe stood by the door looking
at me as if I had the halter round my neck already
I asked him right away to leave my cabin door unlocked
at night while the ship was going through Sunda Straits。
There would be the Java coast within two or three miles；
off Angier Point。 I wanted nothing more。 I've had a prize
for swimming my second year in the Conway。〃
〃I can believe it；〃 I breathed out。
〃God only knows why they locked me in every night。
To see some of their faces you'd have thought they
were afraid I'd go about at night strangling people。
Am I a murdering brute？ Do I look it？ By Jove！ If I ha