s to be in the doldrums, all on
account of that great squirmy thing."

"No, no, I don't mean that," cried Rodd. "I mean, making fun of me when
you told the men I wasn't frightened."

"Fun on you? No, sir. Why, it was as I said. You quite capped me, to
see you standing facing that thing without shrinking a bit. I should
have expected to see you frightened to death."

"Then it was because you didn't look well, Joe," said Rodd, in a low
hoarse voice, as he made a brave effort to set himself right with the
man. "I was frightened--so horribly frightened that I couldn't stir."

"Well, and no wonder, sir. Enough to make you. Why, it would have
frightened a brass monkey, let alone a man. Look at Ikey Gregg. I
believe if you'd ha' 'eard him you would have found he was calling
`Mother!' Poor old chap. There aren't no way of proving it, as one
don't know how heavy he was afore, but I believe he melted away a bit.
Why, we was all like it, sir. It was a regular startler and no
mistake."

"Do you mean honestly that all the men were very much frightened?"

"Why, of course, sir. I telled you I was as bad as bad could be, and my
hair stood right up on end--leastwise, it felt as if it did; and I can
tell you this: I didn't feel like that when we were going into action,
and that's saying a good deal, when a fellow didn't know whether the
first sixty-four pounder that was fired wouldn't send its shot right
into his chest. And so you felt regular skeart, did you, sir?"

"Yes, Joe; and it made me ashamed to hear you talking about me to the
men as you did."

"Oh, well, I don't know as it matters, sir. I said just what I thought,
and I rather like to hear what you say, because it seems to brighten me
up a bit."

"Why? How?"

"Oh, because it makes me feel that I wasn't quite such a cur as I
thought I was. There, it's all right, sir, and I suppose it's quite
nat'ral for any one to feel afraid when there's something really worth
feeling afraid on. I dare say we should both be just as bad again if
that thing was to shove its head out of the water again close by here."

"Then you don't think I was such a coward, Joe?"

"You! You a coward! Tchah! Let me hear any fellow say you are, and
I'll hit him in the eye. But there, it's just as if that thing knowed
we were all ready and waiting for it, and so it won't show. I'm
beginning to wish that the skipper would send everybody but the watch
for their spell below; bu