aited patiently, for Nigger's temper would not bear pressing. He
reversed his stone, spat upon it, and resumed his monotonous whetting,
then, after looking around to make sure he could not be overheard, he
explained what he did know.

"Night befoh last Ah was hangin' 'round aft----"

"What?" I cried, surprised. "Hanging around aft--what for?"

"Dat's my business," he told me, curtly. Then, after a moment, he
added, "But Ah don't care if yoh know, because Ah knows yoh ain't no
snitch. Ah was hangin' 'round waitin' to meet Mistah Mate when he
ain't got them othah two debbils wif him. Ah was waitin' 'round to
meet dat man alone. And he come to de break ob de poop wif de Old Man,
and de Old Man say, 'Ah got a good man watchin' every move he makes; he
can't turn around in de foc'sle wifout me knowin' it. We'll be wahned
befoh it happens.' Dat's what de Old Man say to Mistah Mate. And Ah
knows he mus' be talkin' about de big fellow, and so Ah tells Boston
about it."

"But didn't you hear any names mentioned?" I asked him.

"Dat's all Ah hears," he answered. "Den dey went away."

I was disappointed. The Nigger's news amounted to just nothing; we
already knew that a spy was watching Newman. But indeed this fact
seemed not so threatening as it had a few hours before. Newman's
careless contempt of the spy had made me contemptuous, too. And,
indeed, what could a spy report against the big man that could injure
him? Newman was openly working for peace, counseling obedience. His
actions invited scrutiny.

I voiced this thought to my companion.

"Well, anyway, a spy can't hurt Newman. He is doing nothing underhand,
or wrong. He's keeping peace in this ship."

Nigger gave a queer little hoot of derision. "Does Ah look like
peace?" he said. "Dis am a debbil-ship; Ah tells yoh dey can't be no
peace in dis ship nohow."

I gestured towards the forehatch. A dozen men sat upon it, quietly
smoking and gossiping. "The squally weather is past," I said. "Those
lads don't want trouble. A few hours ago they were all for fight--but
now they've settled down. And don't you try to start trouble! The big
fellow wants peace, the lady wants peace, we must help them to keep
peace. Don't you want to help the lady and the big fellow?"

"De lady been awful good to me," said Nigger, in almost a whisper. "Ah
gone crazy long ago if it ain't foh de lady." He stopped his whetting
and tried the edge of the blade with his